Musical Match-Up!
by phantomsmelody1871
Summary: What happens when a certain fan decides to take all her favorite couples and throw them together? Who knows! Why not join the adventure and find out?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Another story! Le gasp! You're probably all wondering, "Why?" Well, because I get easily distracted, that's why. I'm literally brain dead on my other stories, so here is a new story that I'm very excited to write. I hope you all like it, and if you don't, then I am sorry. Anyways...here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the musicals listed in this story. I will never own any of the musicals listed in this story. How sad. :'(**

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**Chapter 1**

The early morning sun shone in through the office window, illuminating the glossy, mahogany desk in the center of the room, and bathing the person sitting behind it in shadow. Dust motes flitted about in the air as the shadow drummed her fingers on the desk, waiting impatiently for her guests to arrive.

A knock at the door snapped her from her reverie. "Come in!" the shadow yelled excitedly, already knowing why she was being disturbed.

A young, filthy boy dressed in worn clothes scurried into the room, not bothering to close the heavy door. In a thick, English street accent, he announced, "The people that you invited are 'ere, ma'am. What should I do?"

The shadow leaned forward in her chair, just enough so that the boy could see her grinning broadly. "Sit them down in the waiting room," she ordered softly, trying not to frighten the boy with her glee. "Tell them to get comfortable and mingle with each other. I will be out in a moment."

"Yes ma'am!" the boy replied, rushing back towards the guests, making sure to close the door firmly this time.

The shadow leaned back in her chair and propped her feet up on the desk. "This is going to be good," she told the quiet room, chuckling as she thought about her master plan.

Outside, to the left of the building, four girls stood outside the entrance, uncomfortably shifting and coughing, trying to clear the awkwardness from the air. They would occasionally try to make conversation, but they mainly just stared at each other. One would expect them to, since they were a very odd group, indeed.

The first girl who had arrived was about eighteen, with curly, dark brown hair and large, chestnut eyes. She wasn't very tall, but she wasn't very short either. She had a petite frame, mostly from years of dancing. She wore a beautiful, nineteenth century, light blue gown, which went well with her pale skin. She seemed rather unsure of herself, always glancing around, trying to figure out what was going on. However, she also seemed to be the most mature of the girls.

The second girl who had arrived was a polar opposite to the first girl. While the other girl was elegant, this one was rough around the edges. She was about sixteen to nineteen years of age, though malnourishment made her look more like a fourteen or fifteen year old. Her hair looked to be either light brown or dirty blonde, but you couldn't see underneath all the dirt and grime. Her eyes would have been a lovely russet color, had they not been dulled over the years. Her skin was tanned and cracked from the harsh sun and dirt. She wore a once-white blouse that was tattered and bloody, and a ragged skirt that had more patches than skirt. She threw suspicious looks at everyone, and seemed very guarded. She didn't talk at all, just glared at the others.

The third girl who had arrived was much bouncier than the other two. She looked to be in her twenties, but she acted like a teenager. She had sun blonde hair and lake blue eyes that were always sparkling with mirth. She was quite short and slim, with lightly tanned skin. She wore a sparkly, pink tank top, matched with a frilly, pink skirt and pink pumps. She hadn't stopped talking since she arrived, going on and on about some wonderful place that she called Oz. The other two had learned to ignore her seemingly senseless rambling.

The last girl had arrived later, appearing flushed and out of breath, as if she had been running for some distance. Her auburn hair had flown out of its pins in every direction, messing up the nice bun that it had originally been in. Her cheeks glowed from the exercise, and her sienna eyes sparkled, as if she had actually enjoyed the run. Despite the obvious excursion from the run, sweat barley marred her tanned skin. However, her scarlet dress was rumpled, exposing more cleavage and more of her ankles than it had previously. As she mumbled a greeting to the others, she attempted to right herself, desperate to look presentable.

The girls had been standing outside for about twenty minutes now, still wondering why in the world they had been called here. They were all becoming impatient, and the second girl was considering simply barging into the building. However, before she could set her plan in motion, the door swung open, and the young gamin from earlier came out.

Holding the door wide and standing up straight, the boy announced, in what was supposed to be a regal tone, "Misses Christine Daaé, Eponine Thénardier, Glinda Upland, and Nancy, er….never mind. You are now allowed to come inside. Please follow me to the waiting room, where you will sit while I retrieve the other guests."

All of the girls could not resist grinning at the boy's attempt at delicate manners. As they passed him, Christine tapped his nose adoringly, Eponine ruffled his hair, Glinda pinched his cheek, and Nancy patted his shoulder. The child merely basked in the attention he was getting, beginning to like his boss's plan even more.

The girls were led into a spacious waiting room that was comfortably decorated with eight chairs, a glass coffee table, and a bookshelf. The boy darted ahead and escorted each lady to a chair on the left wall, kissing their hands when they were situated. This caused the women to sigh and twitter about the gamin even more.

Grinning, the boy said, "I will be back shortly with the other guests. Please, make yourselves as comfortable as possible." With this, he reluctantly darted away from the ladies' attentions to fetch the others.

Christine giggled slightly as she placed a hand over her heart. "Isn't he just the sweetest young boy you ever did see? So gentlemanly!"

The other girls agreed quickly, nodding and voicing how adorable the boy was. Eponine sighed and propped her head up on her hand.

"'E reminds me of my own brother," she said softly, with a trace of wistfulness in her voice.

This immediately set the other girls off, talking about which young boys they knew that the child reminded them of. The room was soon filled with the chatter and laughter of four very different women who were beginning to form a close bond.

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While the ladies mingled inside, four men stood outside waiting to be let in. Unlike the women, who had tried to be amiable to each other, the men merely looked each other up and down, not bothering to hide their glares. Why they already disliked each other, no one could say. Perhaps it was because of their blatant differences.

The first man who had arrived was notably similar to a shadow. He was tall, a little over six feet, and clothed entirely in black, from his polished shoes to the fedora resting on his head. The only things about him that weren't black were his pale, ghostly skin, his jade green eyes, and the white half mask that dominated the right side of his face. Nobody dared to ask about the mask, probably because the man kept glaring frighteningly at them, while his hand constantly twitched to his pocket, which, no doubt, concealed a weapon.

The second man who had arrived was, like the second girl, the polar opposite of the man. This man was shorter, though not by much. He had golden hair that fell messily over his icy blue eyes. He had a fair complexion and a rather muscular build, though not overly so. He wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a vest of red and gold pulled over it. Accompanying the shirt and vest were a loose black tie, brown trousers, and a tricolored sash tied around his waist. He stared defiantly at the others, his jaw set and his chin lifted, as if he was ready for a fight. The others noted quietly that he seemed like a very passionate young man.

The third man who had arrived…wasn't really a man at all. In fact, the man was made completely of tin. He had a shiny cylinder sitting jauntily on his head, as if it was a hat. He seemed to struggle when he walked, as if his metal legs were foreign objects to him. He seemed very awkward, and didn't talk much, except when he mumbled something about killing a witch for some reason. The others marked him as crazy, and left him to his own devices.

The fourth man was, again, not a man. He was a boy, about ten to thirteen years of age. He had dark brown hair that was exceedingly greasy. The best feature about him, his hazel eyes, glimmered with some private joke. His skin was tanned to a light brown, though whether from dirt, sun, or both, no one could tell. He had a light smattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose, which gave him a deceivingly innocent look. Surprisingly, he was dressed somewhat decently, with a fine top hat perched on his head, and a smart, albeit tattered, suit upon his person. He was looking at the other men slyly, making them feel somewhat uneasy. They all made sure to keep their pockets away from the boy, which simply caused the boy to smirk.

The men had been waiting even longer than the girls, causing them to drift into a rather foul mood. The first man kept growling and checking his antique pocket watch for the time, while the second man tapped his foot impatiently, the third man eyed the first man warily, and the boy watched them all in amusement. Finally, the second man grew tired of waiting, and was just about to walk away when the door was flung open and the boy who had first greeted them appeared.

Copying what he did for the ladies, he exclaimed, in a slightly lowered tone of voice, "Misters Erik Destler, Enjolras…anyways, Boq…ugh, and Jack Dawkins. You are now allowed inside. Please follow me to the waitin' room. Keep in mind, the ladies are already in there. Please, try not to disturb 'em too much." He shot them all what was supposed to be a firm look, but what turned out to be a very timid look.

Erik growled unintelligibly at the child and marched past him without a word. Enjolras shot him a sympathetic look as he walked by, reminded of his revolution. Boq merely scurried inside, eager to be around people who did not look like they would kill him. Jack shook his hand heartily as he passed, feeling a kindred spirit in him.

The urchin stared after them for a minute before sighing and shaking his head. "Maybe I don't like this plan after all," he muttered, shutting the door and racing after the men, only to be frozen in his tracks by a loud ruckus coming from the waiting room.

Wincing at the loud voices, the boy let out a long breath as he stood in the hall. "Well, Toby," he said to himself, "let the fun begin."

"YOU!"

The shout came from all eight people upon seeing each other. Some said the word happily, others in shock, and some in horror. No matter how it was said, though, it was still loud enough to wake the dead.

The first person to say anything rational was Christine. Staring at Erik with surprise glinting in her eyes, she asked, "What on Earth are _you_ doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you," Erik replied, positively beaming, "but I won't, because doubting the powers that brought us together might take you away again." His excited expression melted into an adoring look, which caused Christine to blush and duck her head.

When Nancy had collected her thoughts, a grin broke out over her face as she looked at the boy before her. "Dodge!" Nancy cried, running to him and scooping him into a hug.

"Nance!" Dodger crowed, shyly hugging her back. "I thought you were dead! It's so good to see you again!"

"The same, Dodge, the same! Oh, I never thought I'd see your freckled face again!" She pulled back so that she could look at him, nodding in approval when she noticed how much better his appearance was.

Oblivious to everyone else, a startled Glinda was frantically trying to pry a delighted Boq from around her waist. "Okay, okay, Boq!" she squealed, wiggling like a worm. "I'm h-happy to see you too! Now please, GET OFF!" With one final push, she managed to separate herself from the tin man.

Boq stared at Glinda with a goofy grin on his face. "Sorry, Miss Glinda," he apologized, not really sounding like he meant it. "I'm just so happy to see you! It's been too long!"

"Uh, yeah," Glinda muttered, glancing around anxiously. "Too long."

While the others were reuniting with each other, Enjolras and Eponine were staring each other down, their arms crossed across their chests. They didn't say a word, simply gazed at each other with cool indifference. Such was expected, since they did not know each other well, and had only seen each other in passing.

Enjolras finally broke the silence. "Mademoiselle Eponine," he said, bowing slightly to the gamine. "It is a pleasure to see you again. You look much better than the last time I saw you, when you were chasing Marius all over the place like a lost puppy." He mentally berated himself for the sarcastic comment, but his foul mood would not allow him to apologize.

Eponine, for her part, didn't give away her anger. Instead, she gave him a fake smile, and replied, "M'sieur Enjolras, nice to see you too. Funny, the last time I remember seeing you, you were watching me die at the barricade instead of getting 'elp." She said this rather loudly, for she wanted an audience, and an audience is what she got.

The other six people in the room stopped talking and turned to stare at the couple. The ladies' mouths and eyes were wide open, and the men were staring at Enjolras questioningly and disapprovingly.

Enjolras, blushing as red as a tomato, ducked his head. "It wasn't like that!" he cried. "I thought you wanted to die!"

Eponine stared at him as if he were crazy, which she was extremely convinced he was. "Who in their right mind _wants_ to die?!" she shouted, resisting the urge to hit him over the head with a blunt object.

Enjolras glared at her. "You certainly seemed quite happy!" he said in retaliation.

"I was 'appy to be in Marius's arms!" Eponine yelled back, trying to keep her voice from reaching a shriek. "I actually wanted to live, thank you very much!"

"Now, now, ladies and gentlemen," a voice suddenly spoke up from the back of the room. "Let's try and behave, shall we?"

All eight people turned around to see a girl standing in the doorway of what appeared to be an office. The girl was wearing black slacks and a white dress shirt, with sunglasses resting on the bridge of her nose. Her brown hair was tied up in a sloppy ponytail, ruining the professional look she had gone for. She also had a dopy grin on her face, as if she had just been given her lifelong wish.

Erik stepped forward cautiously, narrowing his eyes at the girl. "Who are you?" he growled. "Why have you brought us here, girl?" Suddenly, Erik's eyes widened in fear. "You aren't one of those crazy phan girls, are you?" Turning around, he gathered a surprised Christine into his arms and exclaimed, "Don't worry, Christine, I shall protect you!"

"Calm down, Erik," the girl said, shaking her head slightly at his dramatics. "Of course I'm a phan girl, but I'm not going to kidnap you, or harm Christine. You may release her now."

Erik sheepishly let go of Christine, who threw him a glare and smoothed her wrinkled dress. Turning to the girl, she politely said, "Thank you. However, I would also like to know the answers to Erik's questions. Who are you, and why have you brought us here from our time?"

The girl's grin widened, and she said, "Of course. My name is…well, that isn't important. You, my dears, may call me Cam. And I have brought you here for a very specific and important reason."

"Which would be…?" Glinda drawled, still fighting off a smitten Boq.

The girl lifted her chin proudly, and began to explain. "You see, over the course of time, all eight of you have become extremely popular, loved characters. People have gotten on their knees and begged to see you eight paired off with each other. So, I have decided to take it upon myself to fulfill their wishes. For the next few months, you all will stay here and be paired up with the person that I pick for you. You will do everything together, including dates, planned activities, and just hanging out. Now-"

Before she could go any further, everyone started to talk at once. There were many protestations, countless insults, and several arguments. Everyone was fighting to be heard over the others, and, after a few moments, it began to give Cam a headache. Shaking her head in irritation, she beckoned Toby to come out from his hiding place in the hall. When he came to her, she whispered in his ear what he needed to do.

Nodding, Toby scrambled up onto one of the chairs, took a deep breath, and yelled, at the top of his lungs, "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PUH-LEASE?!"

Everyone immediately stopped talking, staring at the boy in awe. Toby nodded firmly in satisfaction, hopped off the chair, and scuttled back out into the hallway. They looked after him, until Cam snapped her fingers to reclaim their attention.

Coughing indignantly, she growled, "You didn't let me finish what I was going to say. I was about to tell you who you were paired up with."

"Then tell us!" Dodger piped up, standing tall and trying to look intimidating. "Don' jus' leave us in the dark!"

Cam held up her hand, signaling Dodger to calm down. Pulling out a folded sheet of paper from her back pocket, she unfolded it and held it grandly in front of her. Standing as straight as pole, she regally read, "Please do not speak until the very end, when I will give you the opportunity to do so. The pairings will be as follows: Christine Daaé with Erik Destler, Glinda Upland with Boq, Nancy with the Artful Dodger, and Eponine Thénardier with Enjolras." Refolding the paper, she slipped it back into her pocket, and asked, "If you have any objections to the pairings, please raise your hand at this time."

Only Christine, Glinda, Nancy, Eponine, and Enjolras raised their hands. Erik, Boq, and Dodger stood still, completely complacent and grinning at their intendeds.

Sighing, Cam turned to Christine. "All right, what's your objection?"

Christine crossed her arms and frowned. "I have a fiancée! I cannot simply abandon him to please you and your friends! I refuse to do it!"

Cam smiled slyly. "Actually, I'm in charge here, so you have to do it. And, who knows, perhaps you'll actually find out some new feelings from this experience. Oh, and you needn't worry about Raoul. He's being taken care of by some of my friends right now. I'm certain he won't mind you being gone for a few months."

Christine paled considerably, while Erik's face lit up. "Taken care of, you say?" he asked happily.

Cam chuckled, and responded, "Don't get too excited. After watching Hadley, I couldn't bear to bring harm to Raoul. He won't be hurt. At least, not too badly."

Christine breathed a sigh of relief and placed a hand over her heart, while Erik slumped his shoulders and scowled. Shaking her head and rolling her eyes behind the glasses, Cam turned to Glinda.

"What's your complaint?" the mysterious girl asked, tapping her foot a few times.

Glinda stared at Cam as if she were insane. Throwing her hands up in the air, she exclaimed, "You have got to be kidding me! I cannot be paired up with Boq! I mean…he's Boq!"

Cam smirked at Glinda. "I'm sorry, but that is not a valid excuse. Just because a person is a person doesn't mean you get to get rid of them so easily. Moving on." Before Glinda could protest any more, she turned her head to Nancy. "You're complaint, Miss Nancy?"

Nancy gave Cam a hard look, placed a fist on her hip, and said one word. "Bill."

Cam groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. Shaking her head firmly, she said, "Bill is not an excuse. He never really loved you, he beat you constantly, and he was the one who ended up killing you in the end. Do NOT use Bill as an excuse to get out of this."

Nancy opened her mouth to try and protest, but could not find any words, since the girl had spoken the truth. Blushing, she ducked her head and muttered for the girl to move on.

Nodding, Cam turned to the last two. Suppressing another sigh and groan, she held her folded hands patiently in front of her. "Now, what are your protestations?" she asked, eyeing the revolutionary and gamine, not seeing any reason for them not to want to be together.

Eponine spoke up first. "I refuse to be paired up with him!" she exclaimed angrily, gesturing to Enjolras. "How could you even suggest such a thing? We're complete opposites!"

Enjolras stepped forward, a determined look in his eyes. "Though it's hard for me to admit this, I agree with Eponine. We'd end up killing each other in the end. We're far too different. We come from different worlds and have different beliefs. It simply wouldn't work."

Cam cocked an eyebrow at Enjolras. "Wasn't it you, Monsieur Enjolras, who wanted to elevate the poor, and break down the barriers between the classes?"

Enjolras blinked, confused, and slowly said, "Well, yes, I suppose, but-"

"Then I honestly don't think you should be saying anything about coming from different worlds. Besides, how do you know what Eponine believes? You've never spoken before. You don't know a thing about her." Cam interrupted, giving him a hopeful smile.

"Just another reason why this would go horribly!" Enjolras declared, Eponine nodding her head in agreement and glaring at him from behind.

"Actually, no. This is a learning experience for everyone. Relationships don't come from knowing every single thing about each other. Take Marius and Cosette for instance!" Cam exclaimed, feeling very proud of herself for coming up with an intelligent argument.

Enjolras opened his mouth, then closed it again. He couldn't argue with her reasoning, even though he desperately wanted to. Crossing his arms, he stepped back and began to sulk.

Eponine glared at him, feeling betrayed. She shook her head and let out an angry breath. Flicking her head at Cam, she stated, "I am not going to do this. Not a chance."

Cam stared at Eponine before breaking into a huge smile. "Well, it's a good thing that you have no choice. I am in control, and I have the power to send you back. And you can go ahead and write it down that none of you are going back until I'm done here, okay?" She winked at all of them, though they couldn't see it behind the glasses.

Erik, Boq, and Dodger nodded eagerly, Christine and Nancy reluctantly agreed, Glinda pouted, and Eponine and Enjolras glared daggers at Cam, grudgingly accepting their fate with quick tilts of their heads.

Cam grinned happily. "Wonderful!" she chirped, floating over to the group and throwing her arms around Erik and Christine. "Follow me, everyone, and we will begin our adventure!"

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**A/N: As you have probably guessed, I am Cam. However, that is not my real name. My real name will not be revealed. Sorry, peeps. Anyways, I also apologize if you do not like the pairings in this story. They are my personal preference, however. So...leave reviews for my review eating owl, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: It's little old me again! I'm still having a lot of trouble figuring out my other stories, but I have really great, fresh ideas for this story. However, I'm not sure about it. I've never done anything quite like it, and I'm very worried. I just have to pray for the best. Anyways...reviewer shout-out!**

**A-Flame-That-Never-Dies- Thanks so much for reviewing! It truly means a lot to me, especially since I know zilch about 3/4 of these couples, including Engy and 'Ponine. I promise you, I'll try hard not to disappoint!**

**All right, I suppose that is it. On with this story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any musicals/ musical characters listed in this story, no matter how badly I wish I did own them.**

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**Chapter 2**

The group was escorted into a large, open room. The right wall was made entirely of glass, giving them a delightful view of what appeared to be the courtyard of the building. The only other thing on the right side of the room was a 60" flat screen TV, with a DVD player and a rack of movies resting next to it. On the left side of the wall, pictures of masks, operas, revolutions, Oz, and London society adorned the walls. A large, cream colored velvet couch sat across from the TV, with two matching armchairs on one side of it, and a black leather loveseat on the other side. There was a glass coffee table in the middle of the room, with different magazines and books littered on top of it. It looked more like a room where someone would hang out, not where they would meet to discuss important things.

Walking ahead of them into the room, Cam gestured towards the left wall. "Please, have a seat," she said cheerily. "I would hate for my guests to be made uncomfortable. Well, more so than you already are."

The eight walked warily towards the seats, glancing around the room a bit in amazement. Erik, Christine, Nancy, and Dodger took a seat on the couch, Glinda fled to the armchairs, with Boq close behind, and Enjolras and Eponine were forced onto the loveseat, where they scooted as far away from each other as was possible.

Cam grinned at all of them, marveling in her head at the fact that she had eight of her favorite people right in front of her, even if they weren't willing. Moving to the coffee table, she removed all of the literature on it, saying, "I hope you all like tea, because that's the only thing we have. I only have one cook, as of now, and I don't entirely trust her in the kitchen yet." Placing the books and magazines under the table, she righted herself, turned to a door on the far side, and clapped her hands.

All of the girls immediately sat up straight and stared as the young boy from earlier entered, balancing a tray with teacups on it, followed closely by another young man, with dirty blond hair and sparkling blue eyes, who was carefully carrying a teapot. The boy placed the tray on the table, and the young man delicately poured the tea into the cups. When they were done, they made as if to leave from the room.

"You two can stay," Cam said, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "I'm sure that my guests would like to meet the staff." This caused the young man to blush, and the young boy to grin broadly and wrinkle his nose.

"Yes, who is this charming fellow?" Glinda said, eyeing the man and giving him a coquettish smile, causing Boq to narrow his eyes and huff.

The man smiled shyly back at her. "I am Anthony Hope, miss. I will be helping out around the facilities, mainly serving in any way I can, and helping Miss Cam here keep everything straight. It is a pleasure to make all of your acquaintances." He nodded at all of them, causing the ladies to grin and giggle quietly, and the men to stare at him in a bored manner.

Cam stepped forward beside Anthony. "Anthony, this is Boq, Glinda, Erik, Christine, Dodger, Nancy, Enjolras, and Eponine. They will be staying with us for a few months, so you should get to know them a little better."

Anthony stepped forward and kissed each of the ladies' hands, earning him blushes, smiles, and thanks. However, when he went to shake the men's hands, he was met with a cold glare from Erik, who thought he looked entirely too much like Raoul, a sour look from Boq, and a sneaky, plotting look from Dodger. The only one who shook his hand in friendship was Enjolras, but the young sailor hardly noticed. He was now intent on getting out of the room as quickly as possible.

Noticing his discomfort, Cam frowned deeply at the men, and said, "Anthony, I'm fairly certain I hear Johanna calling you. Maybe you should go see what she wants."

Anthony nodded thankfully, and dashed out of the room, not giving the strange group a backwards glance.

Shaking her head and holding back a dramatic groan, Cam pushed Toby forward. "Everyone, this is Tobias Ragg. You can just call him Toby. He is my personal assistant, and will be helping me take care of you lot. I expect him to be treated like a proper gentleman. That means no threats against his life when he is ordered to watch you, and no corrupting him to do things for you, like stealing, or helping in a revolution." At this, she glared directly at Erik, Dodger, Nancy, and Enjolras, who all avoided her gaze.

Feeling that she had made her point, her smile returned. "All right, Toby dear, you can give them their tea. Then, you can just take a seat in between Christine and Nancy, on the couch."

Toby picked up the tray again, carrying it to every person so that they could retrieve their teacups. When he was finished, he replaced the tray on the table, and scurried over to the couch, where Christine and Nancy made sure he was comfortable enough.

Cam nodded happily. "Now that you're all situated, it's time to explain what will be happening here. I'm sure you were all dying to know."

"Of course, because I have nothing better to do with my time than be trapped in a building to carry out some girl's wishes," Enjolras muttered sarcastically, earning him a smack on the arm from Eponine, and a glare from Cam.

Ignoring Enjolras, Cam pulled a small notepad from her pocket, and resumed talking. "For the next few months, all of you will be staying here. You will be provided with comfortable rooms, three meals a day, and plenty of time to get to know each other. There will be many activities planned, all of which you will be doing with your partner. You will remain with your partner for most of the time, though there will be times when you can just have guy/girl time, or alone time. Any questions so far?" Cam looked up, not surprised to see Glinda raising her hand.

Glinda put her hand down and lifted an eyebrow. "When you say that we will be doing all of these activities with our partners, what exactly do you mean by that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"The activities will include trust and relationship building exercises. You must do these with your partner. Okay?" Cam said, hoping that Glinda wouldn't make a big fuss about it.

Glinda pursed her lips and shook her head slightly. "You see, not to cause any trouble or anything, but that just won't work," Glinda said, a pleading smile on her face. "You must understand, even though I consider Boq a…dear friend, I just don't trust him very much, and I honestly don't think that I could see a relationship in our future. Ever. And I'm quite certain I'm not the only one who feels this way." She bit down on her lip and chanced a glance over at Boq, almost feeling her resolve break as guilt washed through her at the sight of the Tin Man's crestfallen face.

Cam let out a dramatic sigh and rested her chin in her hand. Looking at them all in turn, she began to wonder if this was the great idea that she had imagined it to be. After all, it seemed that just about everybody in this room was against the idea of being together. They didn't even seem to want to try! _But I must continue, _she thought determinedly. _I know that this could work out! I must persevere! For their fans, and for themselves._

Standing up, Cam did something that she didn't think she would do. She removed her sunglasses, startling everyone and making a collective gasp rise into the air. Her eyes were nothing special, just a simple hazel color, bordering on being a muddy color. No, it was the fierce passion in them that caused everyone to be struck silent. This girl, whoever she was, obviously believed very passionately in what she was doing, even though none of the eight agreed with her. It awed everyone, and filled Enjolras with a swift, indescribable feeling that almost left him doubled over with its force.

Looking into each pair of eyes, Cam softly said, "Listen, I get that all of you are odd couples to be paired with. I completely understand that this is a new and frightening experience for everyone. Heck, how do you think I feel, playing match-maker?" At these words, she shrugged helplessly, emphasizing her own doubts. She then continued, "But, even though it will be exceedingly difficult, I'm still going to try. Not just for the hundreds of people who want to see you together. I'm doing this for _you_. So that _you_ can have the lives that you deserve. So, I beg you, just give this a try. Please?" At this, her face morphed into the best puppy dog expression that she could muster.

Everyone remained silent, hardly any of them looking at the girl. Only Eponine and Christine had the nerve to look at her. Eponine pursed her lips and swallowed, feeling something stirring inside her heart. Christine looked at those pleading eyes, her iron will giving away quickly as she saw the pure earnestness that the girl felt about this situation. Finally, she could take it no longer.

"All right!" Christine announced, standing up and nodding her head firmly. "I'll do it. I'll try this, if everybody else will." She turned around and looked imploringly at the rest, carefully avoiding Erik's hope filled eyes.

A few minutes passed by, then Eponine slowly stood up to. "I'm not sure 'ow this will turn out," she said cautiously, doubt still clouding her voice, "but I'm also willin' to do this. I mean, it's not like it's the end of the world." She attempted a teasing grin, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Cam beamed at the two of them, not surprised that they were the first to agree. After all, Christine had an immense sense of guilt, and Eponine always had a longing for a new and better life. She also knew that, since these two ladies were up to the challenge, the rest of the girls would be as well, and the men wouldn't be far behind.

Sure enough, everyone began to nod. Some were more reluctant than others, but it was clear that they were at least willing to give this crazy scheme a shot, if only so that the guilt they felt would go away.

Clapping her hands together, Cam exclaimed, "Wonderful! Oh, I'm so happy that you guys understand! This will be just splendid, I know." A wide grin overtook her face, like a child who had just been granted her every wish. It warmed every single person's heart, even Erik's, though he would never admit it.

Twirling around and situating her sunglasses back on her face, Cam faced the group, hands planted firmly on her hips and her signature smile adorning her face. "All right gang, enough with the serious stuff. I do believe that it is time to show you your rooms, as well as who will be presiding over them. Follow me, lovelies!"

* * *

**A/N: All right, that is all for this chapter! I would like to announce something real quick. A lot of the time, I will need major help with this story, so, from time to time, I will ask you lovely readers and reviewers to help me out. If I need help with an upcoming chapter, or I need some poll votes, or I simply need guest appearances from you, I will mention it at the end of the chapter before. Just wanted to announce that. All right, be sure to feed my hungry little review owl on your way out! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello, my dears! I'm back with another chapter! Sorry for the wait, I was trying to collect my thoughts on this one. I promise, I'm going to try and be speedy in my updates with this one, especially since it's the only current fanfic that I'm working on that I have ideas for. So, sorry again! All right, reviewer shout-out!**

**A-Flame-That-Never-Dies: Thanks so much for reviewing, and I'm really glad that you're enjoying this! I'm extremely sorry for making you wait for so long! Oh, I hope you enjoyed seeing Les Mis! I bet it was just fantastic! I've actually been thinking of ways that I can get my drama director to put on Les Mis in the future. Still working on it, though. By the way, you excited for the movie? :D You will definitely be who I call first if I need a guest appearance!**

**Well, that's all for this long author's note. On with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters mentioned in this story, no matter how badly I wish I did. :P**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Cam led the group out of the room, left down a hallway, right down another hallway, and left down another hallway until they finally reached a fork in the corridors that housed two sets of stairs. By this time, everyone was thoroughly confused and wondering how they were ever going to survive in this strange place.

Stepping forward, Cam spun on her heel and beamed at them. "Well, here we are folks. At this point, the ladies and gentlemen will be splitting up. Ladies, you'll be going up the left staircase and straight down the hallway until you meet your room assistant. She'll help you get settled in, and she'll show you where your clothes are. After that, you can just relax for a bit until dinner's ready. Men, you'll be going up the right staircase, where you will do likewise." Pausing, Cam threw the boys a sheepish smile. "I suppose I should go ahead and warn you about your room assistant. Whatever you do, do NOT anger him. Okay?" She smiled brightly at them, batting her eyelashes behind the glasses.

The girls nodded, eager to get to their rooms and relax a bit after their wearying day. The boys were more reluctant, wanting to rest, but now wary of going near their mysterious room assistant.

Cam nodded jocundly. "Great! Well, I'll see you guys at dinner." Patting each of their shoulders as she passed, she walked back down the corridors towards her office. Whistling merrily, she walked into the room, throwing a smile at Toby who was sitting patiently behind her desk, going through papers and waiting for her.

"I think that today has gone quite well, don't you, Toby? It seems you have become a very popular young man," Cam said, removing her sunglasses and crossing over to the desk.

Standing up, Toby took the glasses from her and placed them in one of the top drawers. "Yes indeed, Miss Cam," he said, moving to stand in front of the desk. Hesitating a bit, he looked up at the girl from beneath his lashes. Feeling rather timid, he cleared his throat and said, "Do pardon me for asking, miss, but are you quite certain that this is such a good idea?"

Cam looked up at the boy, stared at him for a few uncomfortable minutes, and then burst out laughing. Patting his head amiably, she said, "Don't you fret over anything, Tobes. Everything will work out just fine. Trust me."

Tapping his chin once, she picked up the phone on her desk and quickly dialed in a number. She waited for a few moments, tapping her foot in a giddy rhythm. When the other person finally picked up, she said, "Ah, Mrs. Lovett! Yes, the guests got in just fine. Listen, I'm going to need you to make a nice, hearty meal, all right? Enough for eight people, myself, and the entire staff. Oh, and do try not to use human body parts. That's just…disgusting and wrong. Thank you!"

Hanging up the phone, Cam plopped down into her chair, a mixture of exhaustion and ecstasy flowing through her. Drumming her fingers lightly on the desk, she whispered, "Yes, everything will work out just fine."

* * *

After Cam left, Glinda immediately sprinted up the stairs, followed closely by the others. They were all ready to kick their feet up and rest their minds, if only for a short time.

Glinda led the girls up about thirty stairs, then down a dim, straight hallway that was lined with dark rooms. They were beginning to feel a bit apprehensive about their situation, until they came across a lighted part of the hallway, where a girl was standing, apparently waiting for them.

The girl stepped forward, flashing a shy smile at the other ladies. The girl was rather on the short side, but her beauty made up for her lack of height. She had lovely, straight blonde hair that fell to about the middle of her back. Her eyes were a dazzling caramel color, and were very warm and inviting. Her skin was exceedingly pale, making the normally dull blue of her nineteenth century dress stand out vividly. A flash of envy passed through all of the ladies at the sight of her.

"Greetings," the girl said softly, curtsying gracefully to them. "My name is Johanna Barker, and I shall be your room assistant for as long as you are staying here. I hope that we will become friends easily." A tiny smile adorned her mouth, a twinge of hopefulness in her eyes.

Christine stepped forward, returning her smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Johanna," she said kindly. "I am…"

"Oh, I know who you are," Johanna said, laughing lightly. "I know who all of you are." At their inquisitive looks, she continued, "The staff was told about all of you beforehand."

The girls gave sounds of understanding and nodded their heads, though they did not know how to feel about somebody knowing about them before they had even met the person.

Extending her hand towards them, Johanna said, "Come, I will show you to your rooms. I'm sure you must be exhausted, and can't wait to put your feet up." That said, she led them a little ways more down the hallway, stopping outside four doors that were all near each other.

Turning back to them, she explained, "These are your rooms. Christine, you shall be staying in this first room, Glinda, in the one next to hers, Nancy, you'll be across from Glinda, and Eponine will be across from Christine. You may go in whenever you are ready." She took a step back, attempting to give a grand sweep of her arms, but failing quite miserably. Thankfully, none of the girls had noticed, for they had all departed for their rooms.

Christine opened the door and glided into her room, ready to see her quarters. Her face lit up in delight as she took everything in. The walls were painted a light yellow color, brightening the room up. The windows had white lace curtains covering them that were gently blowing in the breeze that was drafting through the room. There was a vanity desk on the right wall, littered with perfume bottles, makeup, and some pictures from her room back home. A small stool rested underneath it. Across from the desk was a large, queen-sized bed, with white silk pillows and light yellow cover. An oak bookshelf, with many of her favorite books resting on it, stood to the left of the bed, while a bedside table with a lamp on it stood to the right. The walls had various pictures of operas, meadows, and her and her father, and Christine could see many of her favorite dresses in the little wardrobe that was to the left of the desk.

Walking over to the bed, she sat down and sighed. _Perhaps a little nap might do me good,_ she thought tiredly, laying down on her back and closing her eyes.

In the next room over, Glinda had begun to admire her room. The walls were, naturally, a light pink color, giving everything else in the room a pink tint. The curtains over her windows were a solid, hot pink color, perfect for obscuring the brightness of the setting sun. She, too, had a vanity desk, made of white wood, with pink fluff surrounding the mirror, and a small, pink stool to match. Her bed was king-sized, with light pink satin pillows and hot pink covers. Instead of a bookshelf, she had a small coffee table next to her bed, complete with magazines, nail polish, and a lamp. Pictures of Oz, her family, and she and Elphaba were scattered around the walls, and a full-length mirror hung on the backside of the door. A rather large oak wardrobe was pushed against the wall near the window, concealing its goods.

Walking over to it, Glinda threw open the doors, grinning as she saw her favorite outfits hanging neatly in order by how much she loved them. _Wonderful! _she thought, beginning to paw through the clothes.

In the room across from her, Nancy was taking in her surroundings with a critical eye. The walls of her room were a deep wine red color, giving it a cozy and sensual feel. The curtains were heavy and black, perfect for sleeping. Nancy's desk wasn't as big as the other girls', with a mirror just big enough to see your face in and only a few makeup products and perfumes on it. However, to make up for the diminutive desk, there was a small table resting next to the desk with large bowl of fruit on it, and a small bottle of gin beside the fruit. Her bed was only a twin size, but it looked just as comfortable as any other, with black silk pillows and scarlet covers. There were no pictures on the wall, but Nancy didn't mind. She didn't even have to look in the small wardrobe beside her bed to tell that her few dresses were in there.

Walking over to the table, she grabbed the bottle of gin and removed the cap. "They did say to get some rest," she said with a shrug, happily taking a swig of the delightful liquid.

In the next room over, Eponine was examining her room with narrowed her eyes. Her room was just as lovely as the others, with soft lavender walls and matching window curtains. She didn't have a vanity desk, just a small dresser with a circular mirror hanging over it, but she didn't even give it a second glance. Her bed was, like Nancy's, a twin bed, decorated in dark purples with lighter purple dots. A bookshelf, filled to the brim with plenty of books, rested next to the bed, causing Eponine to scoff a bit. The walls were barren, though she didn't notice. She was too busy looking, rather sadly, at the open wardrobe near the window, which had not a single prize to show.

"You can borrow some of my dresses," a voice suddenly spoke up, causing Eponine to jump and whirl around. Johanna was standing in the doorway, smiling sweetly. "Miss Cam told me that you would need some new clothes. We'll get some for you as soon as possible, but for now, you can just borrow some of my dresses. I'm certain they'll fit you."

Eponine's eyes narrowed slightly, her walls that she had built over the years immediately shooting up. "Thank you very much for the offer," she began slowly, "but I believe I'll be just fine."

Johanna's mouth quirked into a smirk. "My dear, I know that you don't like accepting gifts from people, but I highly doubt that you want to keep wearing those bloody clothes of yours."

Blushing a bit, Eponine looked down at her shirt. She had forgotten all about the stain. Embarrassed, she tried to cover it up as best as she could.

Giving her a sympathetic look, Johanna said, "Don't you worry about it. You can borrow one of my dresses, free of charge." Gesturing to the bed, she said, "Why don't you rest before dinner, and I'll go get that dress?" At Eponine's nod, the blonde disappeared swiftly.

Cautiously, Eponine walked over to the bed. Very slowly, she lowered her body onto it, marveling at the softness. Feeling bolder, she allowed the rest of her body to collapse onto the bed, sighing in relief. Closing her eyes, she thought, _I'll just rest my eyes for a few moments, until Johanna returns._ With that, she closed her eyes, and was asleep within minutes.

* * *

On the opposite side of the building, the boys had followed their example and made their way up to their rooms. They were still a little nervous about meeting their room assistant, but their curiosity had overridden their uncertainty. This was how they found themselves wandering down the dim hallway, Erik leading them with a quick stride.

Like the ladies, they stopped when they came to the lit part of the hallway, but were confused to find no one there. They peered around, wondering if this was a trick, or perhaps the man was just late.

"Sorry, lads, but you won't find me over there," a voice called from the shadows, causing all four of them to whip around, just in time to see a shadowy figure emerge from the darkened hallway that they had just come down.

The figure turned out to be a man, a rather frightening man at that. His skin was almost as pale as snow, yet his hair was extremely dark, with only a shock of white passing through it. His shirt was concealed by a large black coat that he had on over it, but they could see a dull, tattered red cravat peeking out of the top. His pants were also black, as well as his shoes. His eyes were the most formidable thing about him, almost black and always glaring.

Nobody spoke up, just continued to stare at him. No one quite knew what to say to this strange man. However, Erik, not one to be undone when it came to terror and darkness, was the first one to recover his senses and step forward.

"And who, pray tell, are you?" the masked man asked, his visible eyebrow cocked impatiently.

The man turned his unwavering gaze upon Erik, locking him in place. "I am Sweeney Todd, formerly Benjamin Barker, but you are to address me as Mr. Todd during your stay here. Don't bother introducing yourself, I already know who you are." A tiny smirk touched his lips at Erik's shocked look.

Turning away from the group, he waved a hand at the first four doors near him. "Now, you shall be staying in these rooms. Mr. Destler, you're in this first room, Enjolras is beside him, Jack is across from Enjolras, and Boq is beside Jack. Any questions?" Before giving them a chance to answer, he continued on, "Good. If you need anything, my room is the first room on the right when you reach the top step." Turning around to give them one last chilling glare, he added, "Don't need anything."

The men nodded quickly, thoroughly intimidated, then made for their rooms, only wishing to get away from the craziness of everything.

Erik reached his room first, hastily opening the door and slipping inside. Once he was safely behind the door, he allowed himself to take in his surroundings, critically assessing everything. He was impressed by how well the person who had designed the room knew his tastes. The room was done entirely in dark colors, with blood red walls and purple-black window curtains that completely rid the room of sunlight. There was a desk across from his bed that was big enough to both hold his few personal items and allow him to work on. The bed was quite large, a queen size, and it had black satin covers with matching pillows. There were a few pictures of operas, composers, and sheet music on the walls. The only other things in the room were a small closet with his clothes hung carefully in place and a bedside table that supported a basic table lamp and the little monkey music box from his lair.

Walking over to the table, he gently picked up the music box, cradling it as he turned the key. As the quiet melody filled the room, a small, sad smile spread over his face, his eyes took on a nostalgic look, and he tuned out from the rest of the world as he immersed himself in memories.

In the room beside his, Enjolras had just begun to examine his surroundings. He was pleased to find that the room wasn't extravagant, and it fit his tastes quite well. The walls were a basic white color, shining with a radiance that came from the afternoon sun that filtered through the uncovered windows. There was a small desk, just big enough for writing on, with a drawer that, upon further investigation, held his personal items. The bed was a twin, with white sheets and white pillows. There were few pictures on the wall, consisting of revolutions and one picture of his family, who he hadn't seen in years. His closet was also small, with just enough room for his clothes, and his bedside table only held a lamp. There was a bookshelf next to the table, fitted with a nice selection of all his favorite books and authors. All in all, he was quite satisfied with the room.

Turning his gaze back to the bed, he narrowed his eyes when he saw something that he hadn't seen before. Walking over to the bed, he kneeled on it and removed a picture from the wall that hung right above the pillows. Placing it in his lap, he was surprised to find that the picture was a beautifully done painting of his own revolution, complete with every one of the Amis.

Mouth hanging open slightly, Enjolras could only stare at the painting, running his hands longingly over it every once in awhile. His stone heart trembled for the first time that he could remember.

Across from him, Dodger was happily drinking in his surroundings. Like the other rooms, his was not overdone, but he didn't mind. He quite liked the light brown walls and dark brown curtains. The tiny desk that held a few of his most prized possessions thrilled him, and the twin bed, with its white cotton sheets and pillows, delighted him. The pictures on the walls depicted the faces of Fagin, Charlie, Oliver, and many of his other friends back in London, as well as the little building where they resided. He ignored the near-empty closet, instead choosing to settle his gaze on his bedside table. Upon its surface, placed neatly in front of the lamp, was a variety of little gold and silver trinkets, most likely set there just to entertain him, along with a small bottle of gin that looked like it had been set down in haste, as if somebody had done it in secret.

Chuckling softly, he strolled over to the table, removing his hat and placing it on the bed as he picked up the bottle and began to paw through and examine the ornaments.

Beside him, Boq was also exploring his room, finding relief in the fact that the room seemed to be designed perfectly for him. The walls were light blue with navy blue window curtains. The desk was large, and was designed specifically so that a man made of metal could work it. There was even an oiling can placed neatly in the top-right corner. The bed was a queen size, with nothing on it but a pillow that could sufficiently support his head, as well as little notches on the sides to make getting into bed easier. There were only about five pictures of his family and his few friends on the walls. He took notice that there was no closet in the room, but didn't let it affect him. He glanced at the bedside table, pleased to find a lamp, three or four of his favorite books, and another oiling can resting on top of it.

Moving over to the bed, he slowly sank down on it, grabbing the can to refresh himself after the long day before it was time for dinner.

* * *

And so, the eight people remained this way, exhausted, curious, and anxious after what had been thrown at them. They had no clue what was going to happen now. They did not even know if they were safe or not. The only thing that they did know was that they had no control over the events that were to happen, and so, accepting this fate, they all decided to relax, trying to unwind before having to face each other again in a matter of hours.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize that this chapter has no action in it. Right now, I wanted to set up their living quarters, where they will often visit in the story, so I apologize if the descriptions seem long-winded. I also wanted to introduce Lovett, Sweeney, and Johanna. I promise you, there will be more action in the coming chapters.**

**By the way, who are you imagining for the characters in this story? Like, which people can you most likely see the characters as looking like? Leave a review and tell me, and I'll tell you my personal cast list in the next chapter!**

**All right, don't forget to leave a review on your way out! *places review owl on branch* He's hungry, and needs his food!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm back! I haven't died! Heh, sorry for the long-time wait. School caught up to me and kicked my butt. Hard. But, I'm back! The good news is that I will be updating very frequently during this month, the reason being that the way I set the story up in this chapter forces me to update during this month by a set date. So, yay for that! Now, on to my reviewer shout-out.**

**A-Flame-That-Never-Dies: Thank you so much for reviewing! I am very sorry for leaving you hanging for so long! Those are all wonderful choices, and I apologize for making you cry! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Now, enough rambling, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anybody in this story except myself. I wish I owned everybody in this story. That would be awesome. I would turn them all into cats, and I would cuddle them all day.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"Eponine…Eponine, dear, you need to wake up."

Eponine groaned, half-heartedly shoving away the hand that was ceaselessly shaking her shoulder. It was quite annoying, and she was far too tired for this. "Just five more minutes, 'at's all," she muttered into the soft covers under her, rubbing her face happily against the material.

Giggling slightly, the voice said, "While I would love to give you all the time in the world to catch up on your rest, I cannot. Miss Cam has instructed that every single one of you needs to be downstairs for dinner, and I must follow her orders."

Sighing, Eponine reluctantly forced her eyes open, glad that the light filling the room wasn't too bright. She was actually able to see Johanna's kind, smiling face hovering over her.

Sitting up slowly, she mumbled, "Wha' time is it?"

Johanna backed away from Eponine, giving her room to clear her head. "It's just past five o'clock," she said. "I was instructed to have you ready for dinner within ten minutes."

Groaning, Eponine looked up at Johanna with pleading eyes and asked, "So, I can't just go down there looking like I do now?"

Johanna gave the other woman a sympathetic smile and shook her head. "I'm afraid not," she replied. Then, she held up the dress she had been carrying for Eponine to see and smiled. "Look, though, I've found you a dress to wear."

Eponine examined the dress with slightly narrowed eyes. It was a pretty dress, even though it was rather plain for someone as beautiful as Johanna. It was a light blue color, with white patches along the sleeves and all down the bodice. There was white lace around the collar, as well as at the cuffs of the sleeves. There were a few ruffles on the dress, at the bottom of the bodice and along the skirt. It was obviously intended to cover as much skin as possible, for the collar came up to the neck, the sleeves ended at the wrists, and the skirt came all the way down to the floor. All in all, however, Eponine thought it was one of the loveliest dresses she had ever seen.

Johanna waited nervously in silence, fearing she had offended Eponine, or that she perhaps did not like the dress at all. Giving her an awkward smile, she asked, "Is this one all right?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Eponine turned her head towards Johanna and returned the smile. "Oh, yes," she replied, beaming at the dress. "It's quite beautiful, and I thank you very much for lettin' me wear it."

Letting out a relieved breath, Johanna giggled and shook her head. "It's not a problem at all!" she said merrily. "It gives me great pleasure to help another person. Now, let's get you dressed, shall we?"

Eponine nodded and stood up reaching out for the dress. However, she was surprised when Johanna did not hand over the clothing. After a few moments of silence, Eponine coughed and said, "Well, I'll just be takin' that now so that I can get ready."

Johanna let out another laugh at this, which only confused Eponine more. Crossing over to her, the blonde put a gentle hand on the gamine's shoulder, causing her to flinch slightly. Giving her an amused smile, Johanna said, "No, no, my dear. I'm sorry to have confused you, but I did say that _we_ would be getting you ready. That means the both of us."

Eponine blushed profusely at this and began to shake her head wildly. "Oh, no!" Eponine cried, backing away and trying to be as polite as possible about this. "I can manage on my own, I promise!"

Johanna stepped forward and latched onto Eponine's arm, preventing her escape. Trying to calm the other woman, she said, "Eponine, it's all right, really. I promise that I won't look at you. I just want to help you with the buttons in the back, as well as your hair."

Eponine gazed warily at Johanna, trying to get her way through intimidation. However, it was clear the Johanna was just as stubborn as she, and she wasn't backing down a bit. Sighing in resignation, Eponine grumbled, "All right, if you insist."

Johanna nodded firmly once, biting her lip to hide another amused smile. Handing Eponine the dress, she said, "You can just hand me your old clothes once you are done. You won't need them anymore after today."

Eponine opened her mouth to protest this, but a stern look from Johanna made her think twice. Heaving an annoyed breath, she proceeded to rid herself of her old clothes, tossing them to Johanna and grumbling all the while. Retrieving the dress, she slipped into it, pulling the sleeves over her shoulders and situating it as best as she could. When she was done, she said, "All right, I'm ready for the laces to be tied."

Johanna turned around and hurried over to Eponine. Taking the laces between her hands, she began to deftly tie them, being careful not to tie too tight. When she had finished her task, she quickly grabbed a brush from the small table next to them and immediately started in on Eponine's hair, not giving the girl any time to fight her on the matter. Within a few minutes, though it had been filled with grunts of pain and muttered curses, she had managed to brush every single knot out of the poor girl's hair and tie it into a neat bun.

Stepping back, Johanna gently turned Eponine around and smiled at her. Leading her over to a full length mirror that had been hiding on the back of the door, Johanna asked, "So, what do you think?"

Eponine stared at herself in the mirror, not quite sure what to say. She looked very different that was for sure. She didn't look even close to the girl who was called Eponine Thénardier. And yet, she still did not look like a lady. The dress was lovely, but the light color clashed with her darkened skin. Though it was a long dress, it was still too short for Eponine, and she didn't fill it out at all. It hung limply and unflatteringly on her frame. Her hair did look slightly nicer, but it was still very dirty, and the way it was pulled back from her face only emphasized her gauntness. All in all, she didn't see much of an improvement at all.

Johanna felt uncomfortable as she watched Eponine critically assess herself, seeing in her eyes that she still didn't feel any different. Walking away, Johanna grabbed the black boots that she had carried in earlier off of the bed and walked back over to the other girl, who had turned away from the mirror.

Holding out the boots, Johanna quietly said, "I would rather you wear these than your old boots."

Eponine looked up and smiled at Johanna sadly, feeling that she had disappointed the other girl. Taking the boots, she muttered her thanks and quickly slipped them on, not bothering to look back in the mirror once she was done.

Once Eponine had straightened herself, Johanna gave a small smile and extended her hand, saying, "Now, shall we go to dinner?"

Eponine looked up at Johanna and nodded, tentatively taking her hand. "We shall," she agreed, then allowed the blonde to lead her out of the room and down the stairs.

* * *

Meanwhile, down in the dining room, the other seven people had already arrived and were waiting, some patiently, others not so patiently. They hadn't been waiting for very long, but they were all still anxious from earlier, and they were ready to get everything moving, so that they could get out of here sooner. That, coupled with the temper of some, created a less than friendly atmosphere.

Erik and Enjolras had been the first to arrive. They had exchanged cool looks, a handshake, and a polite greeting, then had seated themselves and not spoken a word to each other, nor looked at each other again, except for perhaps a passing glance.

Nancy and Dodger were the next to arrive, having met each other at the bottom of the stairs and had decided to walk together to dinner and catch up on all that had been going on. They had burst into the room, laughing and happy, completely oblivious to the other two who were in there, one who was annoyed by their buoyancy and the other who was amused, though he wouldn't let it show.

Glinda and Christine followed closely behind them, Glinda chattering a mile an hour and Christine listening with a kind smile on her face. It appeared as if the bubbly blonde woman hadn't stopped talking since the two had met at the top of the stairs, but the soprano didn't seem to mind. As they walked into the room, Erik stood up and gave a small bow to them, moving around the table to pull Christine's chair out for her and help her get settled at the table. She murmured words of thanks, which Erik nodded at and took as his cue to return to his seat.

Boq was the last to arrive, who had traveled to the room with a rather surprising companion: Mr. Sweeney Todd. The poor tin man seemed uncomfortable and frightened, but Mr. Todd appeared rather pleased, perhaps because he had just finished telling his story to Boq. The dark man continued on his way to the kitchen, while the younger man took a seat at the table, shaking nervously all the while.

And so, there they had been sitting together for about five minutes. Cam and Toby had come in earlier, but neither had spoken a word to the small group, instead breezing past them to get to the kitchen, only acknowledging them with bright smiles. The tension in the air was thick and tangible, to the point where it silenced everyone, even Glinda. They were all just waiting for something or someone to come along and break the awkwardness.

Finally, after another three minutes, Johanna and Eponine appeared, arm in arm. Everyone let out an audible breath of relief and nearly everybody grinned at the two girls, evoking confusion from the arrivals.

Choosing to ignore the strangeness of it, Johanna gave Eponine one last smile and released her arm, saying, "Well, Eponine, I will be seeing you later. I must go and help Mrs. Lovett in the kitchen now."

Eponine nodded and shyly smiled back. "All right, Johanna," she said, not really wanting the other woman to leave. Johanna was her only companion in this place. Somehow, Eponine felt as if she needed the girl. However, she absolutely refused to show or admit this fact. Besides, it would do no good now. Johanna had already walked away.

Enjolras had been dreading this moment for quite a while now. Though he was a rebel and did not communicate with anyone other than men, he was truly a gentleman through and through, and he was regretting his earlier behavior. He had behaved quite rudely to the poor girl, and he knew that she must think of him as a bourgeois lowlife that exploited women. He wanted to make it up to her, but he didn't quite know how.

Now, however, he saw a small chance. Eponine was standing awkwardly at the front of the room, not sure what to do or where to go. Standing up, Enjolras walked around the table and pulled out the chair that was across from his. Looking at the girl and catching her gaze, he nodded silently at the chair, indicating that she should take a seat.

Seeing Enjolras' polite gesture, Eponine narrowed her eyes and looked at him curiously and cautiously. _Now, why would he be being all polite now?_ she thought suspiciously. After a few seconds, she shrugged her shoulders and decided not to over think it. After all, who was she to turn down a kind gesture?

Crossing over to the table and never taking her eyes off the man, she hesitantly sank into the chair, ready to catch any trick he might try to play. The only thing that caught her off guard, however, was when he gently pushed the chair towards the table so that she wasn't so far back.

She watched him curiously as he returned to his seat, trying to read his expression for a hidden meaning or emotion. However, his face was blank, like a mask, and revealed nothing. Seeing that she could not figure out what he wanted, she resigned herself to merely nodding at him and whispering her thanks to him, to which he simply nodded back.

At this moment, Cam burst back into the room, humming a bouncy tune and grinning widely. Standing up behind the chair at the end of the table, she removed her sunglasses and tucked them into a pocket. Looking at all the people in the room, she said, in a loud, cheery voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served!" With a flourish of her hands at the end of the sentence, the doors to the kitchen flew open and a parade of food filed out.

At the head of the line was a woman, seemingly neither old nor young, who was smiling happily and singing a quiet song under her breath. She carried several platters of mouthwatering food in her hands and on her arms, which she set down carefully in front of the group, evenly spreading out the dishes all down the table. As she passed each person, she gave them a pat on the head, giving off the aura of a very motherly, caring figure.

Next in line were Johanna and Anthony, who were also carrying covered dishes, though not as many. Upon setting them down on the table and removing the lids, the dishes were discovered to hold a variety of sauces and gravies that smelled tantalizing. The couple went about their work quickly, and retreated to the kitchen as soon as they were done.

Young Toby was next, carrying stacks of plates and knives, spoons, and forks wrapped delicately and intricately in napkins. He made quick work of distributing them to everyone, earning him pats on the head and taps on the nose from the ladies, which he took with a giant smile on his face before following Johanna and Anthony.

Mr. Todd was the last to come out, carrying a large platter with eight mugs on it. He carefully and swiftly placed the mugs of water in front of everyone, not speaking or looking at any of them, except Boq, whom he gave a knowing glance and a half-smile. He was done in a few seconds, and silently returned to the kitchen.

Making sure that everyone had everything that they needed, Cam nodded contentedly and took her own seat. Looking up, she pursed her lips when she saw that no one had moved a muscle, instead choosing to sit there and stare at the food. She began to wonder what the problem was, until a thought suddenly occurred to her that they might not know if the food was for them or not. Letting out a laugh, Cam waved her hands at the food and said, "Well, there you go! Dig in, guys and girls! It's all for you!"

Dodger, not having to be told twice, shrugged and leaned forward, grabbing a knife and cutting a piece of ham for himself before putting it on his plate. He then began to add potatoes, beans, and anything else that was near him that looked delicious. He was exceedingly hungry, and if someone was going to give him free food, then he wasn't going to object.

The rest soon joined in, filling their plates with as much as they wanted. The room slowly began to fill with the sounds of silverware clinking, requests to pass a dish down the table, and small talk between bites. It seemed that the food was exactly what everybody needed to loosen up and dispel the tense frigidness. There were even small bouts of laughter here and there, which warmed Cam's heart as she thought about how her plan seemed to be working out already.

After everyone had food on their plates and was soundly eating, Cam stood up, grabbed her mug and a spoon, and rapped the spoon against the porcelain a few times, calling everyone's attention to the back of the room. When everything was quiet once more, Cam nodded and took her seat again.

Folding her hands in her lap, Cam looked at everyone in the room and inquired, "Does everyone have enough to eat? Oh, are your rooms comfortable and to your liking?"

Everyone nodded in the affirmative, giving her appreciative glances. Some even vocalized their thanks.

Cam held up her hand, silencing them once more. Smiling, she said, "Good! I'm very glad to hear it. I want you to be as comfortable and as happy here as possible." Leaning back in her chair, she quirked an eyebrow and said, "Now, let's get down to business, shall we?"

All eight of them stopped eating and glanced at each other anxiously. They all wondered just what exactly this girl had in store for them.

Smiling at their semi-fearful looks, Cam said, "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. Like I said, these activities are for your own good, to help you find happiness."

Shifting in her chair to lean against the armrest, she continued, "Now, I already explained everything to you earlier about what's going to be happening here. You already know how everything's going to work, what is expected of you, and all that happiness, so I won't go over it again."

Looking at them intently, she said, "There are a few things that I must discuss with you now, though. The first thing is that your first activity will begin tomorrow, after breakfast." Sensing the impending protest and seeing their angry looks, she held up her hand again and hurried along. "Now, now, it won't be anything too excruciating. In fact, you're just going to be working in the kitchen for awhile. You might get a little messy, but that's the extent of the danger."

Smirking at their confused expressions, she added, "The second thing is that you have something else to do tomorrow as well." Standing up, she walked over to a calendar that was hanging on the right wall and pointed to the date. "As you can see, it's very nearly Christmas. Now, I know that many of you have not been able to experience a true Christmas in the past, either by your own choice or from being forced to." Placing her hands behind her back, she firmly stated, "Well, all of you are getting Christmas this year, and I'm going to explain how we're going to do this."

Walking back over to the table, she said, "For Christmas, each of you is going to get a present for your partner. And yes, every last one of you has to do this, no questions asked. The present can be homemade or store-bought, I don't care. As long as it comes from the heart and you put effort into it, that's all that matters."

Retaking her seat, she cocked her eyebrow once more and said, "It's up to you if you want to get more than one thing for our partner. However, I won't force you to do so. I only ask you to get one small thing for them that has some sentiment to it."

"What if you don't know what sort of thing your partner would want?" Glinda questioned, getting thankful glances from many around the table.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll figure something out," Cam said, waving her hand as if to brush away the question. Grabbing her fork, she said, "All right, that's all I needed to say. Continue eating, mes amis!"

"Wait!" Enjolras said, stopping everybody. Looking at Cam, he nervously asked, "Are we required to buy a gift for you?"

Cam blinked at Enjolras in surprise, then burst out laughing. Shaking her head and grinning, she said, "Oh, no! Just for your partners!" Wiping a tear away and replacing her amused look with a sly, cunning expression, she said, "No, I'll be fine. I'll be getting myself quite a wonderful Christmas present."

The men and women stared at her and each other, but chose not to press the matter. Ignoring her plotting look, they returned to their meal, eating and talking quietly amongst each other.

All of a sudden, Cam, smacked her hand against the table, startling everybody and almost causing quite a few water and food accidents. Leaping up, she said, "I almost forgot two more things, lovies!" Turning to Eponine, she said, "Eponine, dearie, when you wake up tomorrow, you'll have a closet full of lovely dresses that will fit you perfectly."

Eponine blushed slightly as everyone turned their gazes on her and gave Cam a strange and angry look. "How do you-" she began, only to be cut off by the girl.

"I just do," Cam said, dismissing the topic as quickly as she had begun it. Turning to the rest of the table, she added, "The last thing is that all of the males failed the first test, except Enjolras and Erik." With that, she plopped down in her chair and resumed eating.

Everyone exchanged confused glances, and Dodger and Boq looked at each other helplessly. However, seeing that Cam was not going to explain what she had just said, they all shook their heads in exasperation and followed her example, filling themselves up with food.

When they were finally done, there was hardly a morsel left on the table and everyone was sleepy and satiated. When Mrs. Lovett came back in to gather the dishes, she was extremely pleased with them and showed it by pinching their cheeks and giving out quick hugs to everyone, waving away their words of thanks and saying that it pleased her greatly to put her cooking to good use.

Heaving a sigh, Cam stood up and said, "Well, my pets, it's time to be heading off to bed. You have a busy day ahead of you, and I know that you are all very tired. So, my dears, good night, and sleep well!"

The eight muttered the words back at her and stood up, stretching and dragging themselves towards the door. They slowly made their way towards the stairs, bidding each other good night before heading their opposite ways. They all went as quickly as they could up to their rooms, and went to bed promptly, with Glinda being the only one to change out of her day clothes.

* * *

**A/N: Ta-da! How did you like it? I hope you enjoyed it very much. Now, as promised, I will present my imagined cast list. Ahem... Erik as Ramin Karimloo, Christine as Anna O'Byrne(with darker hair), Boq as George Ure, Glinda as Kristin Chenoweth, Dodger as Jack Wild(though, a little older), Nancy as Jodie Prenger, Eponine as Samantha Barks, and, after many long hours of debate, Enjolras as Killian Donnelly(with the voice of Anthony Warlow). Quite an eclectic cast, huh? Anyways, don't forget to leave a review on the way out! It makes me happy! :3**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm back! With a much faster update than I'm known for! Still not as fast as I wanted, but meh. Anyways...sorry guys, I've had the flu as of late, as well as exams and such, so...yeah. I plan to have the next chapter up by Sunday, at the very latest. Anyways, time for reviewer shout-outs!**

**A-Flame-That-Never-Dies: Thanks so much for reviewing! It means a lot to me! I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter, and I promise to grant your wish. :3**

**Phan3145: Thanks so much for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Nancy and Dodger are from the musical Oliver!. :)**

**SpiritRose3496: Thanks bunches for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoy it! You think I'm funny? :O I love you too! :'D**

**All right, enough blabber, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: Ha! I do own these characters! You know why? Because _I will do as I do do, and there's no doing anything abou-ooouut it!_ Just kidding, I still don't own these people. I also don't own the Rum Tum Tugger or those song lyrics either. Sob.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Feet clad in black ballet flats tiptoed quietly down the hall, darting around and leaping over certain spots that would have caused unnecessary noise had the owner of the feet touched down on the spot. She didn't want to disturb them too greatly, not yet. She knew that she couldn't force too much out of them. She needed their trust, and if giving them sleep was one way to gain it, so be it.

Coming to one semi-open door in the hallway, she paused in front of it, cocking her head to the side as she stared at it. Being as silent as possible, she moved over to the door, lightly pushing it open further, making sure that the hinges didn't creak. When she was allowed a good look into the room, she let out a tiny adoring sigh at what she saw.

Dodger was curled up in his bed, seeming unusually smaller than was normal. His hair was a tangled, filthy mess, and his clothes, which he had neglected to discard of the night before, were wrinkled. However, the soft snores coming from him, coupled with the way that his face seemed so very soft and peaceful, offset any roughness that could have existed, making him one of the cutest creatures on this planet.

Shaking her head and letting out another soft breath, the girl tiptoed back from the door, gently repositioning it so as not to arouse suspicion. Stepping away from the door, she stared at the other four doors, which were all closed. Though her vision was obscured, and she wouldn't dare to even attempt to try and sneak a peak, she could hear their sound snores and other murmurings that signaled a restful sleep, bringing a doting smile to her face.

Suddenly, the girl was startled as a voice from behind her called out, "Miss Cam?"

Spinning on her heel, Cam soon found herself gazing upon Mr. Todd. His normal grumpy expression hadn't left his face, but he seemed far more complacent and less deadly now than he had ever been before. Perhaps it was because the soft morning light removed the harshness of his features. Or perhaps it was because it was she who was paying him, as well as allowing him to be closer to his daughter. Most likely, it was the latter option.

Chuckling at the thought, Cam beamed at Mr. Todd and said, "Good morning, Sweeney! You're up quite early. Is everything all right, dearie?"

Mr. Todd grimaced at the endearing term, but chose not to get into an argument with the girl this early in the morning. Instead, he shook his head and said, "Everything is perfectly fine, miss. I always get up this early. Old habits die hard, you know. Though, the question should be, what are _you_ doing up this early?" He quirked an eyebrow at her, knowing perfectly well the sleeping habits of teenage girls in this day and age.

This evoked another laugh from Cam. "Oh, I was just checking on my guests," she replied easily. Giving him an inquiring look, she continued, "Now, is there something that you needed to ask?"

Mr. Todd shook his head. "No, Miss Cam," he said. "I was just coming to tell you that Mrs. Lovett has prepared all of the ingredients for today's activity, and the horseless carriage that you requested is in perfect condition and ready for use."

Cam clapped her hands softly together in excitement. "Wonderful!" she whispered, trying to keep her voice down. Bounding over to Mr. Todd, she captured his elbow in her hand and began to lead him to the stairs. "Oh, today is going to be quite wonderful! It's the first day of the rest of their lives, Sweeney! Isn't that just exciting?"

Glaring at the hand on his elbow, Mr. Todd grumbled, "Yes, Miss Cam, it's simply delightful."

Humming a little tune as they walked down the stairs, Cam smiled brightly. "Oh, delightful indeed!" she echoed. Steering her companion towards the kitchen, she added, "Now, let's help Mrs. Lovett start this most glorious of days by helping with breakfast!"

Mr. Todd rolled his eyes and asked, "By that, do you mean that you're going to stand in the kitchen and 'supervise' everyone while we do all the cooking?"

"Exactly!" Cam said, giggling like a schoolgirl as they stalked into the already busy kitchen.

* * *

About an hour or so later, the group of eight slowly began to rejoin the land of the living, awakening from their peaceful slumbers, some willingly, others by force from the birds and the sun. Stretching and groaning, they all washed away the last of their sleepiness bit by bit, with their own methods.

On the girls' side, Johanna bustled up the stairs, singing a pretty little ditty that was filled with nonsense words. As she walked down the hall, she stopped at each door and gave a sharp rap, calling all the while, "Come, my dears! It's time for you to be awakening! We have much planned for the day, and we must get a nice start to the day if we wish to get our tasks accomplished!"

Glinda bounced merrily out of her room about five minutes after the wakeup call, still in her nightgown and chirping a greeting to Johanna. Christine was soon to follow her lead, though not quite as cheerily. Nancy and Eponine came out last, looking as if they had been forcefully and horribly ripped away from their beds, glaring at Johanna and Glinda as if to kill them with their gazes alone.

Giving the girls a kind and happy smile, Johanna clasped her hands in front of her and said, "I am very sorry to have called you away from your rest, but Mrs. Lovett has been working tirelessly on breakfast for some time now, and, seeing as it will be ready in just over an hour, I wanted to make sure that you had enough time."

"Time for what?" Nancy grumbled, shooting a confused look at Eponine, who merely returned the look with a shrug.

Shaking her head and tsking, Johanna placed her hands on her hips and said, "Why, to get you ready, of course! You need to bathe, brush your hair and teeth, and get clothed before breakfast." Turning to Glinda and Christine, she said, "For you two, you will find two lovely, modern bathrooms, or washrooms, down the hallway that has everything that you will need in it. It's quite convenient, and I'm sure you will find it to your liking. Simply call for me if you need help."

Raising an eyebrow and, emitting a cough, Eponine asked, "And, what shall Nancy and I do?"

Turning to them once again, she smiled and said, "Why, I will be helping you two!"

At this, the two ladies yelped and shook their heads, frantically protesting against this idea, but Johanna would hear none of it.

Holding up her hand, she said, "Ladies, ladies, please! Do not argue with me! Miss Cam has ordered it to be this way, and I cannot say that I disagree with her! Pardon my blunt rudeness, but it is obvious that neither of you has had a proper bath in some time, and will need at least a little guidance and assistance."

Eponine bristled at the accusation, even though she knew it was true. _How dare some bourgeois two-a-penny thing tell me what I have or have not done, and then have the gall to suggest that I'm too stupid to figure out such things by myself?!_ she thought furiously, quite ready to fight at this point.

Nancy, on the other hand, reddened in shame at the truth she was hearing finally coming from another. Seeing that Johanna wasn't about to give up and was only trying to help them, as well as seeing Eponine's mounting anger, she decided to take control of the situation. Stepping forward, she nodded her head firmly and said, "All right, then. When you use that reasonin', it makes some sort of sense."

Eponine threw the other woman an incredulous glance, not believing that this girl, who she had thought was so like her, was agreeing to consent to Johanna's embarrassing request. She opened her mouth to speak, but sharp glances from both Nancy and Johanna silenced her quickly, leaving her sulking.

Johanna nodded firmly, smiling proudly as she said, "Excellent, than that settles that matter." Turning to Christine and Glinda, who had simply been standing, intrigued, in their doorways through the whole exchange, she gestured towards the room at the end of the hall and said, "Well, ladies, you can be off now. You wouldn't want to be late for breakfast, I'm sure."

The two women shook their heads quickly, slightly embarrassed at having been caught. Without looking at the other girls, they scurried down the hall, anxious to relax in a hot, scented bath.

After ascertaining that they were comfortable and situated, Johanna turned back to the other women, frowning slightly at what she saw. Nancy was throwing Eponine a sheepish and apologetic glance, and Eponine was refusing to look at her, instead choosing to continue pouting.

Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, Johanna took them both gently by their wrists and began to pull them down the hall in the opposite direction of the bathrooms where Christine and Glinda had disappeared into, saying over her shoulder, "Come, my girls, let's get you ready."

* * *

On the opposite side of the building, the boys had also just been awakened, though far less pleasantly than the ladies. No, the poor men had been wrested from sleep by the terrifying sound of sharp metal screeching against more metal, causing their eardrums to throb in pain as they hurriedly shot out of bed.

Erik was the first one to reach the hall, throwing open his door with a loud bang as he glared around him. His mask was askew and the sparse hair that had been hiding under his wig the previous day was a wild mess, but he still looked quite intimidating, as if he could lash out and kill someone at any moment. "What is that horrid sound?" he growled, his voice booming down the hall.

"I don't know," Enjolras said, stumbling out of his room and shooting an irritated look at Erik, "but I do know that you're yelling isn't helping the situation any."

Erik turned his icy gaze on the boy, put in an even worse mood when he saw that the blond somehow managed to look decent and handsome even in the early hours of the morning. Balling his hands into fists, the masked man hissed, "I am not yelling. There is a _strong_ difference between yelling and projecting your voice."

Enjolras shrugged. "Either way, it's loud, and it certainly wasn't helping anybody at all." Cocking an eyebrow, he continued, "In fact, the most helpful solution would have been if you had simply tracked down the problem and eliminated it yourself, instead of contributing to the problem."

Gritting his teeth and snatching his lasso off of the hook by the door, Erik stepped forward slightly and said, "Oh, I'll eliminate the problem, all right."

"Now, now, men, civil words," Dodger cut in, resting in his doorway and staring at them with calm, sharp eyes. "Fightin' will resolve nothin'."

"Not always the truth, but it just so happens to be, in this case," Boq added sleepily as he joined them, still trying to work the sleep out of his system.

Erik narrowed his eyes at the other two and was about to hurl some rather unpleasant words at them, but his reply was cut off by the same screeching sound, causing all four of them to clutch at their ears in pain.

"Really, what is that?" Enjolras asked, looking around angrily as he continued to hold on to his right ear.

"It is I," a voice said from the shadows. Stepping into the light, the voice revealed itself as Mr. Todd, who happened to be holding a small metal pole in his left hand and a straight razor in the right. Giving them a cold smile, he said, "Do forgive me if I damaged your ears too terribly."

Not one of them spoke, for they were all too concentrated on the blade in the odd man's hand. Exchanging quick glances, they all gazed warily at Mr. Todd and shook their heads in the negative, muttering that they were just fine.

Mr. Todd nodded and said, "Good. I'm glad to hear it." Flipping the razor closed, he slipped it into his pocket and folded his arms behind his back, concealing the pipe from them, causing him to smirk as they let out low sighs of relief.

"Now, then," he continued after a moment, "breakfast will be ready within an hour or so, and Miss Cam has instructed me to come up here and instruct all of you to wash and prepare yourselves before going down to eat." Turning around, he gestured down the hall to four lit rooms that they had not previously seen. "Those are the washrooms where you will prepare yourselves. Everything that you need, besides your clothes, are in there, and you should be quite satisfied." Turning back around, he asked, "Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads again, knowing full well that, if they had asked, they would have gotten a sarcastic answer, if they even got an answer at all.

Mr. Todd nodded. "Good," he said, stepping aside and pointing down the hall. "Then you may go. All of you now, except Dodger."

Dodger froze in his tracks, having already begun to follow the others down the hall. Gulping, he put on a false look of bravado and turned back, earning sympathetic glances from the others as they continued on their way.

Walking back over to Mr. Todd, he asked, "What can I do for ya, sir?"

Lifting one eyebrow in amusement, Mr. Todd replied, "It's rather what I can do for you, young man."

Looking at him in confusion, the only words that Dodger could find to say were, "Sir?"

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Mr. Todd began to walk Dodger slowly down the hall towards the only vacant washroom. "You see, Mr. Dawkins," he began, "Miss Cam informed me that you might not know how to properly bathe yourself. Therefore, she gave me specific instructions to help you. However, I'm not a hands-on helping kind of person."

"So, what then, sir?" Dodger inquired, even more confused now than before.

"Well, I cannot go against her instructions," Mr. Todd said, "so, instead of helping you wash yourself, I will simply give you some advice."

Dodger nodded in understanding. "And what advice would you be happenin' to give me, sir?" he asked as they stopped in front of the washroom door.

Removing his hand from the boy's shoulder, Mr. Todd replaced it behind his back, looked the boy in the eye and said, "You take your clothes off, you get in the shower, you turn on the water, you take the soap and the rag, and you scrub your skin until it's practically shining and you feel like you've just about burned yourself. Then, you take the bottles marked shampoo and conditioner and scrub your hair until it feels like a kitten's fur and I cannot see a trace of dirt in it. Then, you get out, dry yourself off, and change into a fresh set of clothes. If you come down to breakfast with anything less, I throw you back into the shower, with all your clothes on, and I'll come in here and do what you should have done yourself, though it will be far less pleasant." Pausing, he smiled at the boy and concluded, "Understand?"

Dodger blinked and gulped before nodding slowly. "Y-yes, sir," Dodger mumbled, glancing longingly at the washroom as he sought an escape.

Mr. Todd nodded once and patted Dodger on the head a few times. "Good lad," he muttered, then quickly walked back down the hall, disappearing into the shadows about halfway down the hall.

Staring after him, Dodger curled his lip up and said, under his breath, "Well, he's certainly a good deal more terrifyin' than Fagin or Sikes ever was, that's for sure." Shaking his head and letting out a breath, he disappeared into the washroom.

* * *

An hour or so later saw all eight people from the group trickling into the dining room in a much cheerier mood than they had woken up in that morning. They even went so far as to exchange pleasantries with each other and start up small conversations, as they had done at dinner the previous night.

The baths and showers had truly done a work on all of them. For some, such as Enjolras, Glinda, Christine, and Erik, they had improved the spirit more than they had the looks, leaving them with a calm, airy feeling that opened them up to others. True, it had improved their looks as well, but it had only gone to the extent of shinier hair and cleaner smelling skin.

For others, like Nancy, Dodger, Eponine, and Boq, it had completely transformed their looks. Dodger was now ten times cleaner than he had ever been, and he wore a much more dashing suit than before, though he continued to wear his customary hat. Eponine and Nancy were much improved as well, with clean skin and hair, as well as clean, modest dresses that fit them well, though Eponine's still hung on her. Boq shone brightly this morning, having taken an oil bath rather than a water bath, leaving him looking sharp and smooth, as well as putting him in a wonderful mood.

They sat down at the table, conversing quietly with each other as they waited. They were all anxious, and even excited, to see what the day had in store for them, but they would never dare to show it to Cam. Who knew what she would do if she found out?

After about ten minutes of waiting, Cam finally flitted in, not through the kitchen door, but through the main door. Breezing over to her chair, she immediately took her seat and beamed at them happily.

"Good morning!" she crowed, clasping her hands in her lap with enthusiasm. "You all look just wonderful today! And I do love your dress, Eponine dear." Sliding her glasses down her nose, Cam looked approvingly at the peach colored dress that Eponine was wearing.

Blushing slightly, Eponine looked down and murmured, "Johanna picked it out."

"Well, I'll have to thank her later!" Cam said happily. Turning back to the rest of the table, she continued, "I sure hope you guys are as hungry as I am! I feel like I could eat a horse right now!"

Apparently, this must have been some sort of cue to the people waiting in the kitchen, for the same parade came marching out as they did last night, though they carried different dishes. They made haste in setting out the food, silverware, and drink, then disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.

Sighing in contentment, Cam dreamily said, "I just love the staff. How wonderful and efficient they all are!" Then, she clapped her hands again and proclaimed, "Now, let's eat!"

Everyone filled their plates and began to eat. The room was plunged into silence, which unsettled Cam quite a bit. Glancing around, she saw on her guests' faces looks of anxiety. Biting the inside of her cheek, she thought about what to do. She didn't want to give away too much about today's activity, but she wanted to put them at ease somehow. Suddenly, her face lit up as an idea came to her.

Setting down her fork gently, she smiled at all of them and said, "I know you're all just bubbling with excitement at the thought of today's plans, and, while, I cannot tell you everything, I can give you some information about the activity that is in store for you!"

Everyone stopped eating, immediately interested in what the girl had to say. They looked at each other for a brief moment before fixing their gazes back upon her.

Glad that she had their attention, she continued, "Well, the activity will begin after breakfast, just as soon as Mrs. Lovett and her crew can get everything prepared. As you already know, it will take place in the kitchen, and you will be working with your partner and your partner only. It will last till lunch, where we will take a break to eat. After lunch, it's off to the mall to work on your first project." Picking her fork back up, she asked, "Are there any questions?"

Though they were all dying to know more about what was in store, they knew that she would not be forthcoming with answers, so all they could do was simply nod and resume eating, pondering just what exactly their first activity included, or perhaps wondering what they would get their partner for Christmas. Whatever they were thinking, it kept them chewing their food in silence, though it was a good deal less tense than before.

It only took about an hour and ten minutes for everyone to finish eating, much to Cam's disappointment. They all hadn't eaten much, which worried and frustrated her. Deciding not to argue with them right now, she merely stood up, smiled, and said, "Well, my dears, if you are certain that you are done eating, than I'm going to have to ask you to go wait in the sitting room. Toby will escort you there."

The group turned to see Toby standing in the doorway, smiling and bowing shyly to them. Opening the door wider, he gestured that they should come and follow after him. After a moment of hesitation, they finally stood up and made their way over to him.

Stepping out into the hall, he said, "Right this way, ladies and gentlemen." He began to lead them down the hall, just a short distance to a room that they had passed the night before, but had neither been in nor seen before. Taking out a large key ring with numerous keys on it, he carefully counted out the correct number, inserted a key into the lock, and turned it, opening the door for them and stepping out of the way to allow them entrance.

Entering the room, they looked around, taking in their surroundings. It was a plain yet elegant sitting room, with two black leather loveseats and four black leather armchairs arranged neatly near the back. There was a small glass coffee table with eight glasses of water on it resting in the middle of the room, and a bookshelf filled with a wide variety of reading material was pushed against the farthest wall from the door. That was all the furniture that the room could boast, but it was still very pleasing, and the most comfortable room they had visited, aside from their bedrooms.

They flocked to the seats, each grabbing a glass of water on their way. Nancy and Eponine sat in one pair of armchairs near each other, Enjolras and Dodger took one loveseat, Christine and Erik took the other, and Glinda and Boq situated themselves in the remaining armchairs, Boq daring to scoot his chair just an inch closer to Glinda's.

They sat there like this for a few minutes in total silence, sipping their waters and looking at anything but each other, each lost in their own world. They had expected Cam to come within two minutes, or maybe even less than that, within their arrival at the room. However, after five minutes of nothing, the silence became too much, and someone finally had to break it.

"So," Nancy said softly, leaning forward with a gleam in her eye, "what do ya think we're goin' to be doin', Dodge?"

Dodger shrugged and leaned forward with her. "I don't know, Nance," he honestly replied, a sly twinkle coming into his eye. "But I bet that we can find some way to make something from it." He winked at her cheekily, knowing that she would understand what he was trying to communicate.

Enjolras looked at the lad and lady disapprovingly and said firmly, "Now, there'll be no thieving while we're here. These people are being kind enough to let us stay in their home, feed us, and take care of us, and you would even entertain the thought of taking from them?"

"Oh, leave 'em be," Eponine cut in, rolling her eyes at the revolutionary. "They're just joking with each other. Honestly, you think these people would let us within a mile of their prized possessions, knowing what sort of people they have amongst 'em?" She raised an eyebrow, daring him to contradict her.

Before he could say anything, Christine cut in. "Oh, come, let us not talk of such things," she pleaded, a worried glint in her eye. "Instead, why don't we discuss just what exactly we might be doing?"

"Maybe we'll be redecorating the kitchen!" Glinda chimed in, excitement stealing over her at the thought of Glinda-fying the building.

Chuckling, Boq murmured, "That's a charming idea if I ever heard one."

"Oh, isn't it?!" Glinda exclaimed, clutching his arm happily. "We could paint the entire kitchen pink, and replace all of the black, white, or whatever colored appliances with better, pinker versions! And bubbles! We can add bubbles! Oh, I can see it now!" She sighed dreamily as she kept planning out her vision.

Rolling his eyes at Boq's love-dazed look, Erik broke in and said, "Has it occurred to anyone that perhaps the kitchen could be just a cover-up for where we are actually going? Or maybe it's just a starting place for the activity?"

Enjolras opened his mouth to counter Erik's theory, but Eponine beat him to it. "That's not likely," she said matter-of-factly. "Cam said we wouldn't be doin' anythin' harsh, and that we would just be workin' in the kitchen. She doesn't look like one to lie or plot against us, so I'm goin' to believe her."

Erik looked skeptically at her, but did not dwell on his theory. Instead, he settled back into the couch and contented himself with watching Christine as she kept switching her gaze between the clock and the door.

"Well, whatever it is, we'll make the most of it, right Dodger?" Nancy said, smiling at Dodger merrily.

"That's right, Nancy!" Dodger agreed, blushing indiscreetly at her smile. To hide it, he turned to look at the others and said, "And I would suggest that you lot do the same."

Looking at him in confusion, Enjolras asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Dodger shrugged. "I just mean to say that we're all stuck 'ere, doin' the same thing as everyone else. We have a choice – sulk and pout and make everyone miserable, or make the most out of our stay 'ere. So, what are you gonna do?"

At this question, everyone quieted down and looked around. The question truly made them think, and even shamed them. It truly shone a new light on things for them, and left them too shy to look at their assigned partners.

Thankfully, Cam chose this moment to come in. Upon seeing them so quiet and contemplative, her eyebrows lifted and his sunglasses slid down a bit. She wondered what had gone on here, but didn't dwell on it. She didn't have the time anyways.

Coughing loudly to announce her presence, she grinned broadly and said, "Well, Mrs. Lovett is finally ready for you, dearies! Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

Everyone nodded excitedly and stood up, barely keeping control of themselves as they followed Cam down the hall and back to the kitchen. They had no idea what they were going into, but, as Dodger had suggested, they were going to make the most of it.

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**A/N: All right, I admit it, this was a crap chapter. Still, I'm kinda-sort of proud of it, so here it is. Also! CALLING ALL READERS/REVIEWERS! I need your help! As we all know, my eight little lovies have to get gifts for each other! So, why don't you leave me a review or PM telling my what you think everyone should get? I'd really appreciate the help, since I only really understand about two of the characters. All right, that's all, folks! Be sure to leave a review on your way out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Ta-da! Aww, look who decided to update when she promised? I feel so accomplished. :3 Anyways, not much has happened that you guys need to be informed about, so, onto reviewer shout-outs!**

**A-Flame-That-Never-Dies: Thank you for reviewing! I apologize for the lack of content in the last chapter, but I hope this one will satisfy your needs! Thank you for the gift ideas, as well!**

**Phan3145- Thank you for reviewing! Those are all wonderful gift ideas, and I thank you for those! Ha, I love writing Sweeney. :)**

**SpiritRose3496- Thanks for reviewing! Hope you like this chapter!**

**All right, enough chatter, on with the story!**

**SPECIAL NOTE: This chapter is dedicated to A-Flame-That-Never-Dies, who gave me the idea for the first activity. Thank you, love!**

**Disclaimer: So, even though I talked to every single composer, writer, etc. that I could think of, they still would not give me the deeds that I needed to own these characters. So, I still don't own them. Sigh.**

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**Chapter 6**

Upon entering the kitchen, the group was met with a rather curious sight. There were four wooden tables set up in the middle of the room, all containing various kitchen utensils and appliances, as well as different ingredients, such as flour, milk, eggs, sugar, butter, salt, vanilla and baking powder. They stared at the tables in confusion, wondering exactly what they were supposed to be doing.

Moving forward to stand in front of them, Cam removed her sunglasses and placed her hands behind her back. "In your first activity," she began, smiling like an idiot, "you all will be doing something extremely easy and fun with your partner."

When she didn't continue, Erik made a gesture for her to continue and said, "And what would that be?"

Laughing lightly, Cam said, "Why, you'll be making cupcakes!"

Glinda gasped in excitement and her eyes lit up. "Really?!" she squealed, beaming brightly. "Oh, this is even better than redecorating!"

"Huh?" Cam asked, looking at Glinda in bewilderment.

Rolling her eyes, Eponine just said, "Don't ask."

Cam stared at Glinda for a second longer before shaking her head, deciding it was best to take Eponine's advice, and continuing on. "Anyways, yes, you will be baking cupcakes with your partner. Here's how it's gonna work."

Turning around, she gestured at the tables and the items resting on them. "You each have a muffin tray that can hold eight cupcakes in all. The cupcake holders have already been placed in the tray for you, so you don't have to worry about that part."

Walking over to one of the tables, she hovered her hands over the ingredients and said, "You'll be using these ingredients, as well as the supplies you find around them, to bake your scrumptious treats." Pointing at a paper that was resting near the bowl, she added, "Right here is where you'll find the recipe, so you don't have to fret over figuring everything out on your own."

Walking back over to them, she said, "You have an hour to mix everything together in the right amounts and get the batter into the trays. Once you're finished, you can get Mrs. Lovett to come check it for you. She's right outside in the dining room."

Finishing her instructions, she folded her arms and smiled at them. "Once she checks and approves of everything, she'll put the cupcakes into the oven for you. After that, you can go and do whatever you please until it's time for lunch. After lunch, we'll go shopping, come back for dinner, and, by then, your cupcakes should be ready to eat." Replacing her sunglasses over her eyes, she asked, "Any questions?"

Enjolras raised his hand. "You said we _have_ to work with our partner on this?" he inquired, ignoring the feel of Eponine's heated gaze.

Cam nodded. "Yes, you _must _work with your partner. The two of you have to do equal work and help each other out, and you can have no assistance from anyone else. Understood?" She gazed at all of them intently, practically daring them to defy her.

Everyone nodded, though some were more reluctant than others. Still, it was good enough for Cam, whose face brightened up again at their consent.

"Wonderful!" she exclaimed, beginning to walk through the door. "As soon as I leave, you may start your activity. Have a great time, gang!" With these parting words, she opened the door and disappeared from the kitchen, leaving them to their 'fun'.

Deciding to get this activity over with quickly, they all moved to the tables and began working, diligently diving up tasks and puzzling over the recipe.

"What does it say, Glinda?" Boq questioned, picking up a measuring cup and looking at his partner, who was perusing the piece of paper with a thoughtful look.

"It says that we're supposed to put all of our dry ingredients into one bowl, then mix the butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla together in another bowl," she replied, glancing down at the ingredients. Knitting her eyebrows together, she muttered, "However, it seems that Miss Cam has left out the butter here."

Glancing down, Boq sighed and picked up a small bowl, which just so happened to contain melted butter. "Is this what you're looking for?" he asked, giving her a teasing smile.

Glinda stared at the bowl, and, upon further inspection, a light blush colored her cheeks. "Oh," she said, giggling to hide her embarrassment. Carefully snatching the bowl away from Boq, she said, "Thank you, Boq. You're quite a dear."

If it had been possible, Boq's cheeks would have matched Glinda's in color. Instead, he had to settle on shyly muttering, "Why, thanks, Miss Glinda. I do try."

Not being able to hear him properly, Glinda simply replied, "Yes, yes." Taking the measuring cup from him, she said, "Now, let's get cooking!"

At the table beside them, Nancy and Dodger had already read through the recipe. Nancy was now carefully measuring out the dry ingredients to pour into the bowl while Dodger was examining the vanilla.

Glancing at her companion, Nancy said, "You know, Dodge, you could always start on the second part. You know, so that we can get this done more quickly."

Dodger looked up and gave her a charming smile. "Of course, Nance, of course," he agreed, nodding his head. Turning his attention back to the vanilla, he continued, "I was just thinkin' about somethin'."

"And what would that be?" Nancy asked, not sure if she really wanted to hear. Normally, when Dodger started getting ideas, it never ended well.

Plucking up the recipe, Dodger said, "Well, this 'ere recipe says that we should add one and a half teaspoons of vanilla."

"That it does," she said, setting down the measuring cup so that she could rest her elbows on the table. Looking at Dodger with a questioning look, she asked, "What about it?"

Dodger cocked his head at her. "Well, I was thinkin'," he said carefully, "that, with just a little vanilla, the cupcakes taste nice and sweet."

"They do indeed, Dodger," Nancy said, an amused smile touching her lips.

Taking off his hat and rubbing his head, he continued, "Well, what if we added just a bit more vanilla than the recipe calls for?"

A look of understanding touched Nancy's eyes. With a grin spreading across her face, she answered, "Why, I believe that our treats would be just too sweet to resist."

"Exactly!" Dodger crowed, gaily replacing his hat. "Nancy, you are truly the brightest girl I ever I meet!"

Nancy clucked her tongue and shook her head. "Why, Sir Artful, I believe it is _you_ that truly has all the brains!" Nancy said, reaching over to pat his shoulder.

"Then that makes us the greatest cooks there ever was, doesn't it?" Dodger asked, already reaching for the second measuring cup, as well as the vanilla.

"Indeed, indeed," Nancy said, returning to her work, humming all the while.

Beside them, Christine and Erik were still having problems, mainly because, instead of doing his job, Erik was too busy grumbling about this 'degrading' activity.

"Baking cupcakes?" he growled sullenly, glaring at the table. "I am a composer, a musician, an architect, the Phantom of the Opera! I do not bake cupcakes! How silly this idea is…"

Christine rolled her eyes, getting quite annoyed by all his griping. Besides just being rather childish and irritating, it was hindering her from getting the most out of this activity. She had tried to be patient with him about this, but, after nearly seven minutes of nothing but complaining, she finally had to step up and say something.

Slamming the baking powder and measuring cup onto the table, Christine placed a hand on her hip and cried, "Erik, enough!"

Erik looked up in surprise, taken aback by her uncharacteristic outburst. Blinking at her in shock, he asked, "Is everything all right, Christine?"

Sighing in frustration, she said, "No, Erik, everything is not all right. In case you haven't noticed, I've been trying to do this activity, while you've been standing over there pouting like a child!"

Erik sniffed indignantly. "I have not been pouting," he said firmly. "I am the Opera Ghost, and the Opera Ghost does not pout. I was merely stating how humiliating this task is."

"And that would be fine, except for the fact that it is not humiliating!" Christine snapped, glaring at him.

"Well, perhaps not to you!" he sharply retorted. "You are a woman who has been around this type of thing her entire life. I am a man who has only recently been introduced to things such as this."

Christine's features softened, not only as she remembered Erik's situation, but also as memories from the past came flooding back to her. With a small, longing smile turning her lips upwards, she murmured, "My father and I used to bake cupcakes sometimes. Whenever he had the money, he'd always go out and buy the ingredients. Later that day, we would have the most fun in the world mixing everything together and baking the treats. It was always a delight to sit by the fire with him, eating the cupcakes as he played his violin or told stories. It was one of the things I loved doing best with him."

Erik looked upon her with guilt as her eyes watered and she began to blink rapidly. He did not want to ruin a dear memory for her just because he was being a selfish, cold old man. Glancing down at the recipe, he quickly read it, then took the measuring cup and baking powder from Christine.

Looking up in surprise, the soprano gazed at him in confusion, wondering what he was doing.

Giving her a smile, he said, "Why don't I do this part? I'm sure you want to have the chance to pour the vanilla."

Christine slowly smiled at him. Laughing quietly, she gave him a grateful look and whispered, "Thank you."

Erik shook his head, refusing to accept thanks for something that he should have already been doing in the first place, wholeheartedly and happily. Besides, he was slowly finding out that baking cupcakes wasn't all that bad.

Meanwhile, Eponine and Enjolras had been silently working the entire time. They had only spoken to each other at the beginning, when they had discussed who would do what. After that, they had busied themselves with their work, both eager to get the activity done.

Enjolras had finished his part of the work quickly, and had been waiting for the past five minutes for Eponine to be done. He was beginning to grow impatient, especially since the girl had just poured and re-poured the flour about ten times since she had picked up the measuring cup.

After another five attempts, Enjolras let out an audible breath and gave her an exasperated look. "Are you having trouble, mademoiselle?" he asked slowly, trying to be as polite as possible.

Glaring at him, she said, from between clenched teeth, "You try pourin' the exact amount of flour. It's not as easy as it looks, _m'sieur_." She emphasized the title as frustration overtook her when her latest attempt failed as well.

Cocking an eyebrow, the blond replied, "Really, it can't be that hard to pour some flour. And it does not have to be exactly on the dot, you know."

When his talking caused yet another attempt to end with failure, she snapped. Setting the measuring cup roughly on the table, she shoved it towards him and said, "Well, if it's that easy, then why don't you do it?"

"Gladly," he coolly replied, taking the cup from the table. Looking around, he saw that the bag of flour was still resting near Eponine. Letting out another breath, he said, "Mademoiselle, the flour is still on your side."

Smirking at him, she said, "Well, I guess you'll just have to get it then, now won't ya?"

Giving her an annoyed look, he shook his head and reached across the table to grab the spoon that was resting in the flour bag. "You know, you are just making this whole stay here, as well as the activity, harder on yourse-" Enjolras would have continued his sentence, had his hand not chosen this exact moment to have an odd spasm, causing the spoon he gripped to shoot the flour up into the air.

Eyes wide, he looked up, drawing in a sharp breath at what he saw. The flour from the spoon had somehow managed to land all over Eponine's nose, as well as on her right cheek. If this had happened to any other person, he would have burst out laughing. However, this had happened to Eponine Thénardier, and he was fairly certain that he had just signed his death warrant.

Standing up straight, he immediately began saying, "My sincerest apologies, Mademoiselle Eponine! I did not mean to. I honestly do not know how, or why, my hand twitched like it did. I-" He stopped, seeing that his apologies and excuses were getting him nothing but a hard glare from his victim. Gulping nervously, he muttered, "Here, I will get you a towel."

Turning around, he mentally began beating his own head as he walked over to the sink and retrieved a towel. Why, oh why, did this have to happen to him? Why couldn't this have gone well? This was only the beginning!

Shaking his head, he knew he could do nothing about, so, after making sure the towel was clean and dry, he returned to his table, wondering if he should just keep apologizing or say nothing at all. However, before he could act on either decision, a cloud of something soft suddenly attacked his face.

Coughing and blinking rapidly, he looked up in surprise. The first thing he saw was a grinning Eponine, who had one white hand up in the air. A challenge was written all over her face, only confusing him further.

Laughing at his dazed expression, Eponine said, "Well, M'sieur Enjolras, you _did_ start this. I was only gettin' even." She have him an innocent look and shrugged, silently asking him what he was going to do about it.

Narrowing his eyes and smiling slightly, Enjolras continued to walk back over to her, saying, "Oh, yes, of course, mademoiselle! It's perfectly understandable. But then, isn't this, as well?" With that, he quickly reached into the flour bag, scooped up a handful of the soft powder, and tossed it at Eponine, coating her entire face and neck with the ingredient.

Grinning widely, Eponine wiped the flour away from her eyes and looked mischievously at Enjolras. "So, you want war, then?" Eponine questioned, already reaching into the flour bag. However, before she could retaliate, she was interrupted by Christine, who had become distracted by the two.

"What on earth are you two doing?" she asked in confusion, wondering if she should be worried about the mental state of these two. Who just started throwing food at each other?

Enjolras and Eponine stopped and looked at each other for an answer. Then, as they were exchanging glances, the same idea came to both of them, and matching, cunning looks came into their eyes before they turned back to Christine.

The brunette looked at both of them, an odd sense of foreboding welling in her at their looks. "What are you-" she began, only to be cut off by a fistful of flour flying at her.

The flour-covered duo burst out laughing, clutching at their sides as they tried to breathe. While they were having their fun, Erik had rushed over to aid Christine.

"Christine, are you all right?" he asked hurriedly, quickly checking to make sure she wasn't hurt. When she only stared at him with an odd look, he truly began to panic. "Speak to me, Christine!"

Christine continued to stare at him for a moment more before reaching behind her, seemingly trying to grasp the table. Erik was about to help her, but, before he could, a clump of flour hit the unmasked side of his face, catching him by surprise.

Christine began to laugh like a fool as she saw how the left side of Erik's face now matched his right side. It was almost too much for her.

Seeing that she had meant no harm by anything, a tiny smile crept onto Erik's face as he playfully asked, "Oh, so it's games you want, is it? Well, my dear, if you insist…" With that, he quickly reached around her, grasped a handful of flour, and quickly smeared it on Christine's left cheek.

An all-out flour war begun between the four at the end of the room, and the earlier timid quietness was now replaced with laughter and squeals of joy. It was even affecting the other four, who were watching them and laughing at their silly endeavors.

"Look at 'em Dodge!" Nancy called over the ruckus. "Ain't they just the funniest creatures you ever did see?"

"Sure are, Nance!" Dodger said, right before he coated the right side of Nancy's face in white flour.

Turning her head and glaring at him playfully, Nancy scooped up a handful of flour and said, "Now, two can play at that game, sir!"

"Six, actually!" Dodger corrected, trying to take refuge behind his side of the table from Nancy's imminent attack.

Seeing that Dodger and Nancy were joining in the food fight, Boq quickly made his way over to Glinda's side of the table and leaped in front of her, holding out his arms on either side. "Don't worry, Miss Glinda, I'll protect you!" he shouted over his shoulder as he was pelted with stray bits of flying flour.

"You should be more worried about protecting yourself, Boq!" Glinda shouted back, then proceeded to thoroughly coat Boq's back with flour.

Boq was shocked when he felt Glinda touching him, but he did not hesitate in reacting. Grinning wolfishly, he spun around, grabbed some flour from their sack, and tossed it at her, joining her laughter as it got all over her hair.

After that, there was no stopping them. All that could be heard from the kitchen was squealing, laughter, and shouts of happiness, and all that could be seen in the kitchen was a world of white. The cupcakes were all but forgotten as the eight had their fun, completely regardless of the time.

Suddenly, the door to the kitchen burst open, and, though the cloud of white powder, a highly astonished Cam could be seen peering over her sunglasses at the mayhem. Everyone stopped in their tracks, looking guiltily at each other and the floor as they waited for the girl to speak.

Stepping into the room, Cam surveyed the mess, absolutely speechless at what she saw. She had left them alone for an hour. An _hour_! How on earth had this happened?! _On second thought, do I even want to know?_ the girl asked herself, inwardly sighing.

Looking at them, she saw that, although they looked guilty, they also wore breathless looks of delight, and it touched her heart. _Ah, what the heck?_ she thought happily. _If this helped them come closer together, then so be it! After all, it's not like it's that big of a deal, anyways._

Raising an eyebrow at them, her mouth spread into a grin and she said, "Well, it seems that Glinda got her dream of redecorating after all."

Glinda blushed and smiled as everyone looked around the room. Cam wasn't lying. There wasn't a single area of the room that hadn't been touched by flour.

Shaking her head, Cam sighed and said, "Well, there goes that activity." Looking at her watch, she continued, "Your hour is up, so there's nothing more you can do except go get cleaned up before lunch."

"What about the kitchen?" Christine suddenly asked.

"Well, I suppose I'll be taking care of this mess," Mrs. Lovett piped, frowning at the group from her spot in the doorway, causing everyone to cough nervously and look away.

"Oh, you shouldn't have to do all this work by yourself!" Christine said, feeling horrid that the lady would have to go through so much trouble.

"Dearie, I'll have plenty of help," Mrs. Lovett assured, giving her a half-smile. Winking at the group, she added, "Besides, you'll have another opportunity to make it up to me."

Before anybody else could ask any questions or say anything, Cam said, "All right, then that's settled." Waving her hand at the door, she said, "Go, go wash and change before lunch. Be ready in twenty minutes."

Everyone nodded and scurried out the door, not wishing to raise her ire. They quietly made their way out through the dining room and into the hall before anyone spoke.

"You know, for the record, you started this," Eponine murmured, elbowing Enjolras sharply as they walked.

Rubbing his side, he mumbled, "No, I believe it was _you_ who started this, when you chose to fight back."

The other six began to chuckle merrily as the two continued to bicker all down the hallway, never agreeing on who started the soon-to-be infamous flour fight.

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**A/N: Well, I hope this got a chuckle out of you! I had fun writing this chapter, even though it left me longing for cupcakes. By the way, I had no idea that the cupcake was invented way back in 1796, maybe even before! :o Learn something new every day. All right, enough random facts, thanks for reading! I plan to have the next chapter up by tomorrow or Tuesday. Don't forget to leave a review on the way out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm back! Geez, I completely and totally missed my deadline. However, to make up for it, I give you two chapters of goodness! Actually, it was all supposed to be one chapter, but I was not about to cram all of these words into one chapter. So, yay, two chappies! Hehe, reviewer shout-outs!**

**A-Flame-That-Never-Dies: Haha, thanks for reviewing! I'm glad that you liked the last chapter, and I hope you will enjoy these two!**

**Phan3145: Thanks for reviewing! I hope you know that I literally fell off of my bed laughing when I read your review. :P Hope you enjoy these two chapters!**

**All right guys, three quick things before getting on with the story. Number uno is that, now that I am off for Christmas break, I will be updating more frequently. Secondly, I plan to have chapters out on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And tres, since these two chapters were supposed to be one, I'm doing my closing author's note at the end of the next chappie. Now, on with the story!**

**SPECIAL THANKS: To A-Flame-That-Never-Dies and Phan3145 for their wonderful gift ideas! You guys are the best!**

**Disclaimer: Come on, guys. We all know that I'm secretly the composer of every musical in this world. :) Just kidding, no I'm not. I don't own any of the character's here. Sigh.**

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**Chapter 7**

Everyone rushed to clean themselves and get ready in the allotted amount of time, not wishing to anger Cam or any of the staff. Most of them were able to wash the flour off and put on a new set of clothes within twenty minutes. As they finished, they hurried back down to the dining room for lunch, which Mrs. Lovett had already taken care to lay out.

The group filed in practically at the same time and hastily moved to their seats, avoiding the gaze of Cam, who was already seated at the head of the table, flipping through a magazine. However, they were not so careful about their eyes when it came to looking at each other.

As soon as they were seated, Enjolras and Eponine looked up at the same time, meeting each other's eyes. They stared at each other for a split second before bursting out laughing, which they both desperately tried to cover with coughs and sneezes. This only caused the other six to chuckle as well, which caused Cam to look up from her reading and shake her head at them.

Folding the magazine closed, she placed it under her chair and said, "You know, I never really saw any of you guys as silly people. My thoughts are completely changed now."

"Not silly," Nancy insisted, grinning broadly. "Just enjoyin' life, that's all."

Cam gave up her hard act and let out a little chuckle herself, nodding in agreement. "Yes, I can see that," she said, smiling kindly at them. Then, she gestured her hands to the food that was lying upon the table. "I hope you all don't mind that lunch isn't as grand as you're used to eating so far. However, I wanted to have a quick lunch, so that we would have plenty of time to shop before it was time to come back for dinner."

They all turned their attention to the food, which happened to be sandwich ingredients. There were all different varieties of breads, spreads, lunch meats, and extras, more than could possibly be imagined. It looked quite good enough, and it seemed rather impossible that anyone could complain.

Seeing their looks of satisfaction and hunger, Cam giggled and said, "Well, it looks like you guys don't mind. So, dig in!"

They followed her orders and began to help themselves, making their favorite sandwiches. Eponine, Nancy, and Dodger, who had never made or, in Eponine's case, eaten a sandwich before, simply copied Enjolras, Christine, Erik, and the others, taking little bits and pieces from their preferences and sticking them on their own sandwiches. When they were finished making it and had tasted it, they found that they quite liked it, and quickly memorized everything that they had put on the sandwich for future reference.

They ate quickly, not talking much, except for light chatter between bites. It did not take them long to finish their meal, only about twenty to thirty minutes. Unlike earlier, this pleased Cam, for it meant that they now had plenty of time for shopping, plus more.

Standing up, Cam made sure that everyone was absolutely finished before she said, "Okay, gang, since we're all done now, it's time to go. Please, follow me outside." Then, as an afterthought, she looked at them intently and added, "Do walk beside your partner, if you don't mind."

They all stood up and followed her instructions. Boq crossed over to Glinda and offered her his arm, which she took with a small smile and a tilt of her head. Erik repeated this gesture with Christine, who accepted his arm with whispered thanks. Dodger and Nancy mockingly copied them, giving each other over exaggerated bows and curtsies before Nancy prestigiously took Dodger's offered elbow and Dodger marched them both out of the room.

When it came to Enjolras and Eponine, however, it was a good deal more awkward and reluctant than the others. Enjolras made his way over to Eponine's side of the table and stood beside her, staring at anything in the room other than her. The girl just stood there, arms crossed and looking at him expectantly, trying not to appear embarrassed at her lack of knowledge about what to do.

Glancing down Enjolras saw that Eponine wasn't making a move either, and he knew that it would be up to him to set everything in motion, or else they would be left behind. Groaning inwardly and fighting a blush, he woodenly extended his arm towards her, waiting for her to move next.

Eponine simply stared at the elbow, not certain what to do. She'd seen the other ladies do it, of course, but she was too afraid to do it herself. What if she messed up and grabbed the wrong part of the arm, making a fool of herself? Instead, she chose to just stand there.

Seeing the gamine's hesitation and confusion, Enjolras realized his mistake and worked to correct it. Softening his features, he carefully reached out and took Eponine's wrist, guiding her hand to his elbow and gently resting it there, making sure that she could see his hand at all times.

Eponine watched him closely every step along of the way, nearly jerking away when he touched her, but was surprised when he merely helped her. Blinking, she stood there for a few more seconds, not quite sure what to say or do. So, she just chose to look at Enjolras and give him a nod of thanks.

Enjolras nodded back, then led them both out of the dining room, slightly hurrying to catch up to the others, who were not as far down the hall as he had imagined them to be.

The group followed Cam down the hallway, through several twists and turns, then to two giant oak doors with windows in them. Through the windows, grass, sunshine, and the entire outdoors were visible, giving everyone a rush, for they had not seen the outside since yesterday, nor had they ever properly seen the grounds of the building.

Smiling at their barely concealed excitement, Cam moved forward and opened both doors, ushering her guests outside. Once they were out, she followed after them, closing and locking the doors behind her before turning around to see their reactions.

They were all gazing in amazement around them. They had not expected the building to be this lovely. Although they could tell this was not a place one would commonly come to admire nature, it was still beautiful. The circular, concrete pathway that they stood on was surrounded by leafless maple trees, holly bushes, and withered flowers. Still, the grass here was a luscious green, and the pines on the outskirts of the building were lovely to look out, and smelled wonderful. It truly astounded them.

Chuckling at their expression, Cam said, "I'm glad you enjoy the view. This is only the main part of the building, so it's not quite as lovely as the rest, but I still like it and, apparently, you do too."

The eight vocalized their agreement, commenting on how it still looked nice, even in winter. However, before they could say much, a loud, strange noise interrupted them.

Cam looked up in excitement at the direction of the noise and cried, "Looks like our ride has arrived!"

As she said this, a long, odd looking object suddenly flew down the pathway and stopped in front of them. Everyone gazed curiously at the object. It was long and black, with black windows all along it, as well as at the front. It had wheels on it, and it was shaped rather oddly, almost like a rectangle, but more like a trapezoid. They could not, for the life of them, figure out what it was.

Stepping forward, Cam laid a hand on the object and began to explain it to them. "This, my dears, is what we call a car," she said. "It's like a carriage, but it doesn't require horses, and it powers itself. It's much more efficient than any carriage or coach."

Oohs and ahhs emitted from the crowd as Cam explained to them, and Dodger even stole forward to touch the car.

Highly amused, Cam smirked and continued, "Yes, and this is not just any sort of car. You see, like carriages, there are different types of cars, and this particular type happens to be a limousine, which is the height of fashion and luxury in the car world."

Everyone looked highly impressed, Nancy's and Dodger's eyebrows lifted approvingly, and a dreamy look stole over Glinda at the thought that she would be traveling like a queen, at least by today's standards.

Trying hard not to laugh at them, Cam said, "This limo, as it is called, is what we will use to get around anytime that we're going out as a group, okay? So, it's what we'll be riding in today."

"And I would kindly appreciate it if you kept it clean and neat," Mr. Todd said, opening the front door of the limo and stepping out, glowering at them all.

Cam nodded happily and walked over to hug his arm. "Don't you worry, Sweeney dearest, we'll keep your car in tip-top shape!"

Mr. Todd growled lowly at Cam and lightly shook her off, then turned a deadly gaze on the group, where some had started to laugh. He smirked when they immediately stopped and looked away, then turned towards the building and walked away, somehow managing to disappear about halfway to his destination.

Shaking her head and clicking her tongue, Cam let out a sigh. "That man is too grouchy for his own good," she muttered softly under her breath. Deciding not to dwell on it right now, she turned to her guests and beamed at them. Moving over to the car, she grandly opened a door near the back and said, "Well, my dears, it is time for us to be moving on!"

Everyone hurried forward, anxious to get inside, which made Cam chuckle a bit more. As they crawled in, they all marveled at the interior. They lightly touched the velvet seats and fawned over the multicolored lights over them. Nancy and Dodger busied themselves with a bucket near the back that held several bottles of wine and gin, as well as nonalcoholic beverages, like water and bottled tea.

Once everyone was seated inside, Cam made a gesture to Anthony, who had been waiting near the building, to come over and get in the driver's seat. Once he was situated, Cam climbed in with the rest, seating herself and quickly shutting the window that was between the driver and the riders, still not quite trusting Erik around the boy.

When the limo started moving and she could finally rest, Cam glanced around at the group, letting her puzzled gaze fall on Eponine. The girl was staring out the window intently, though she seemed to be looking more at the window itself than the sights passing by, as if studying it.

Cam laughed nervously and asked, "Enjoying the view, 'Ponine?"

Eponine glanced up at the nickname and shook her head. "It's not that," she said, returning her attention to the window. "It's just that, I can see perfectly fine out the window now, but I couldn't see inside before, when I was standin' outside the…what did you call it? Oh, yeah. When I was standin' outside the limo."

Cam chuckled softly and leaned over to rap lightly on the window. "That's because the glass used to make the window is tinted," she explained. "I don't exactly know how, but the people who design these windows somehow make it so that the sun is reflected off the glass. You can't see in from the outside, but you can see out from the inside, even if it is a little darker than it would normally be."

Eponine made a noise of understanding and nodded her head. She didn't understand everything that Cam had said, but she had understood enough to answer her question. She sat back contently and went back to staring out the window, this time taking more time to admire the sights that were flying past her.

The others had joined her, pointing at things that they saw and making small comments. They would often laugh at the odd modern things that they saw, and when they were truly curious about something, they asked Cam, who patiently explained everything to them, gaining her entertainment from their fascination.

"Oh, look Dodge!" Nancy said, pointing out the window as they drove by what Cam had called a 'billboard.' On it was a picture of a dancing bunny in a hat and suit. "Ain't that just the funniest thing you ever saw?" she asked, giggling at the sight.

Dodger cocked an eyebrow as he looked at it. "It's odd, that's for sure," he muttered, wondering just how mad these people actually were.

"It was cute, though!" Glinda cooed, craning her neck as she tried to continue looking at it.

"Woulda been cuter if it was a cat," Eponine mumbled under her breath, evoking a small smile from Christine, who also preferred cats over bunnies.

Looking oddly at her, Enjolras asked, "You like cats?"

Eponine looked back at him boldly and replied, "Yes, indeed I do. They're my favorite animal actually." Raising an eyebrow at him, she questioned, "Is that a problem? What, you don't think that someone like me can actually like cute animals?"

Enjolras raise his hands in defense. "I meant no offense by it, mademoiselle," he stated calmly. "I was only surprised. You didn't strike me as a cat person."

Tilting her head and locking her gaze on him, Eponine inquired, "Oh? And what kind of person did I take ya for?"

Enjolras shrugged and said, "I honestly don't know. A dog, perhaps. They seem more like you. Not a cat person, though."

Smirking at him, the gamine leaned back and asked, "So, what is your favorite animal, Monsieur Enjolras?"

The blond man cocked his head to the side for just a moment, pondering the question. Then, he shrugged his shoulders again. "I suppose I have always been fond of birds, particularly the eagle. It always seemed strong to me."

Chuckling under her breath, Eponine replied, "Funny, you struck me as a lion person."

Enjolras gave her an odd look and asked, "How, pray tell, do you get that idea?"

Eponine raised her hand to her chin and pretended to think for a moment. Then, smiling coyly, she said, "Well, it could be because you're always ready for a fight. But it's mainly the way that your hair looks like a mane."

"It does not!" the man protested, raising his hands to his hair indignantly. Clutching at the golden strands, he said, "It looks perfectly normal, thank you very much."

"Boy," Erik suddenly interrupted, chuckling aloud and smiling, "what that hair needs is a brush. I don't even _have_ hair, and I still know that."

"It really does," Glinda agreed, staring at it disapprovingly. Perking up, she said, "Not a problem, though! We'll just get you a brush while we're out, and-"

"Not a chance!" Enjolras cut in, not wanting to know what the bubbly woman had in mind. Scowling at Eponine, who only continued to look at him with an entertained expression, he said, "No one shall be touching my hair because it does not need to be touched. That is that. Let it rest."

Cam could tell that every girl in the car, plus Erik and Dodger, was about to jump all over Enjolras, and she began to desperately began to look for some way to save the poor dear. Thankfully, this was the time when Anthony decided to pull up in front of the mall, causing her to sigh in relief at his impeccable timing.

Leaping up from her seat and standing in the middle of the limo, Cam exclaimed, "All right, gang, while I would just love to continue this conversation, unfortunately, we have to put an end to it. We have arrived at our destination!"

As she said this, the eight began to crowd around the windows, gazing out at the large, busy building and gasping at the sights. They were awestruck by the sight of the numerous vehicles and people, as well as the shining advertisements that surrounded the mall. They had never seen anything like it before.

Grinning at their expressions, Cam said, "Anthony will get us parked first, then I'll explain everything when we get out."

It didn't take long for Anthony to reach their reserved parking spot that was near the very front of the building. After stopping the car, he got out and rushed over to help the group out, warning them to watch their step as they got out of the limo and huddled together on the sidewalk.

When everyone was out, Cam moved to the front of the group so that she could be seen and heard clearly. Shoving her hands in her pockets, she said, "Well, guys, here we are. This is where we will start our first project."

Turning around, she gestured to the building, saying, "This here building is not just one store, but many stores in the same place. There are two floors just full of every store that you can ever imagine, from clothing to jewelry to music. Honestly, there's nothing that you _can't_ find here."

Turning back to face them, she continued, "You all will be splitting up into teams of two. Guys will pair up with guys, girls will pair up with girls. With your companion, you will go shopping for your partner, choosing a meaningful gift for them. You will help each other when you need to, and I will also be checking in at regular intervals with you to help you. You must stay with your companion at all times, understand?"

At everyone's nod, she beamed brightly and said, "Wonderful! We'll meet back here in two hours. Everyone, make the most of your time here, and have a blast!" With that said, she handed them all maps of the mall that contained store names, where they were, and what they sold, and stepped away, waving them inside and wishing them luck.

Immediately, Glinda grabbed the person nearest to her, who just happened to be a shocked Nancy. Clinging stubbornly to her, Glinda said, "You'll be my partner!"

Nancy gazed down at the other woman, wondering if she should be scared or not. She finally settled on just giving her a nervous smile and a nod, silently accepting her fate.

Smirking in amusement at them, Eponine threw a glance at Christine and said, "Well, I suppose that means that we're together."

Christine smiled at the other woman. "It will be fun, I'm sure!" she exclaimed, determined to make the most of things.

Eponine smiled back, attempting to feel some of the excitement that Glinda and Christine were feeling. Somehow, the only thing that she could feel was a strong yearning to leave this place.

Meanwhile, the boys had yet to pair up. Enjolras and Erik had given each other a single glance before ruling out that option. Boq and Dodger were indifferent, and the former two boys honestly didn't care either way. However, they couldn't go into the mall unless they had a companion, so they tried to hurry and pick.

Eventually, after five minutes of debating with each other, Enjolras finally threw his hands up in the air in exasperation, then grabbed the nearest person to him without looking. This person happened to be Dodger. Nodding his head, Enjolras said firmly, "There, that's settled. Now, let's get on, shall we?"

Erik and Boq raised their eyebrows, but chose not to comment on the blonde's outburst. Instead, they nodded their head in agreement and swiftly followed the rest of the group into the mall.

As they entered the building, they couldn't help but be surprised by the sheer amount of people in the mall, running about, yelling, and shoving others out of their way. The group unconsciously huddled together, not so sure about this anymore.

Cam, who had followed them in to help them get started, saw their hesitance and nervousness and rushed to reassure them. Stepping in front of them and smiling, she calmly said, "There's nothing to worry about. Just stay out of people's ways and you'll be fine."

Glancing around, Christine cleared her throat and asked, "Why are there so many people in this building?"

Cam shrugged her shoulders and replied, "It's the day before Christmas Eve. In this day and age, today and tomorrow are the main days that people want to do their shopping. It's going to be hectic and horrible, but you guys will be all right." She gave them a smile, hoping to sooth them.

Eponine looked at the girl skeptically. "How do you know we'll be fine?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes.

"Because I won't let anything happen to you," Cam said nonchalantly, completely confident in her promise. Seeing that the gamine, and a few others, were about to start arguing, she brought her hands together and quickly said, "Now, enough chatting! Time to shop! Use your maps to decide which stores to go to first!"

Though they were still unsure about this adventure, they knew that they could not get out of it and resigned themselves to their fate. They busied themselves with looking over their maps, trying to decide where to go.

Tapping her chin thoughtfully and scanning over her map, Glinda suddenly snapped her fingers and gasped in delight. Holding tightly to Nancy, she began to drag her to the left, saying, "Oh, come with me! There's a boutique over here that we must see!"

Nancy looked ahead nervously, seeing a pink and purple glow near the end of the building that could only be the store that Glinda wished to see. Glancing back at the others, she mouthed for help, her plea only being met with sympathetic looks. Sighing, she turned back to her companion and allowed herself to be dragged away from the rest, praying for patience with this woman and the strength to spend two hours with her.

Christine and Eponine poured over their own maps, trying to decide which store to visit. Suddenly, Christine saw that there was a music store to their right that looked like the perfect place to find Erik's gift. Leaning over, she whispered her idea to Eponine and gestured down the hall in the direction of the store, asking her if they could stop there first.

Looking up, Eponine could hear, rather than see, the store, and nodded in agreement. She would much rather let Christine get her shopping done first, considering she had no idea what to get Enjolras or where to go. So, she followed after the other woman, pondering what she was to do.

As they walked away, Enjolras and Dodger pondered over their own maps, wondering what to do. Dodger saw many stores that he could go to, since Nancy was easy to please, but decided to let Enjolras decide where to go first, since he had the harder job of the two. He would probably end up buying Nance something from the any store they went to, anyways.

Enjolras was beginning to get frustrated. He knew nothing about his partner, except a little about how she lived. How could he get her a gift? Then, as if in answer to his question, a thought occurred to him, a memory about a gift that his sister had gotten one year for Christmas. Looking down at the map, he spotted a store that would be the perfect place to retrieve his gift. Without a word, he grabbed Dodger's shoulder and began to walk away from the group, the young thief slightly surprised by the abruptness of it, yet complacent, as they went about their business.

Cam smirked slightly as she watched the silent display, continuously amused by the blond man. Turning back, she was about to ask Erik and Boq where they planned to go, but was surprised to find that they had already disappeared, and she had no clue where they could have gone.

Huffing in irritation, Cam shook her head and began to walk through the building, grumbling, "Stupid Opera Ghost! He better hope that I'm able to find him in time to give him enough money to get whatever he's going to get."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this story, nor do I own Kay Jewelers or Build-A-Bear Workshop. If I did, I'm fairly certain this earth would burn.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Upon reaching their intended destination, Glinda pulled Nancy into the store, which was named Faerie's Heaven. The former began to gasp and look eagerly at everything the store had to offer, while the latter looked around with a curled lip.

The store was obviously meant for women, for there was not a man in sight. The walls were painted a light pink, while the carpet beneath them was a light purple. Decked upon the walls were rows and rows of shelves, filled with many girly objects, ranging from diaries to stuffed animals. Littered throughout the store were more shelves and stands holding more girly objects. Women bustled around, fawning over items and debating what they should buy, while the cashiers worked away happily, or at least seemingly so.

"Why on earth did you drag us 'ere?" Nancy asked, glancing disdainfully at everything and everybody.

"Because this is the perfect place to find Boq's gift at!" Glinda chirped, moving further into the store, towing her poor companion behind her.

Nancy looked at the other woman as if she were insane, which she was fully convinced was a likely explanation. "What are you talking about?" Nancy exclaimed, trying to pull herself out of Glinda's grasp. "This store is meant for girls and women! What possibly made you think that this would be a fine place to search for a man's Christmas gift?"

Glinda turned around and faced Nancy, still keeping a firm grip on her wrist. Sighing and shaking her head, she reached out her other hand to pat the former thief's shoulder and said, "Nancy, my dear, I can see that you're confused, and that's all right. But, please, try to understand that I know exactly what people like. That means that I know that I will find a wonderific present for Boq right here!" She giggled for a second before spinning back around and continuing on her way.

Nancy struggle against her again, ready to argue more with her. However, after a few moments, she realized that all of her efforts would go in vain. She was forced to resign and comply to Glinda's wishes, but she swore to herself that she would never go shopping with the blonde woman ever again.

While Nancy was thinking all this, Glinda was humming and hawing over everything that she saw, picking up a book here, a shirt there, or some other random item and mulling over it. After a few seconds, she would put the item down and flitter on, making her way through every inch of the store. It did not escape anyone's notice, least of all Nancy's, that she seemed to be searching more for herself than for Boq.

After almost twenty minutes of this, Nancy was beginning to get irritated. They had gone through the entire store looking for a present, and were making their second round. On top of that, they had to fight their way through a crowd of other people, some of who were exceedingly rude and were lucky that they hadn't gotten the sharp end of the street waif's tongue. It was truly beginning to be far too much for her.

As Glinda began to look over one of the same things that she had looked at the first time, Nancy finally lost it. Snatching the trinket away, she snapped, "Oh, enough! If you looked at it the first time and didn't like it, you won't like it the second time!"

Glinda looked at her in surprise for a moment before narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips. Grabbing the stuffed dog back from Nancy, she shortly replied, "The first time was just a survey of my options. This time, I am really looking at what I will buy. And I would appreciate it if you would show some patience and kindness for just a little bit!"

"Hey, I'm a normally patient and kind person, but even I have to admit that those two qualities are hard to find in here," a familiar voice piped up from behind them, interrupting their arguing.

Turning around, the two women saw that the owner of the voice was Cam, who had somehow managed to track them down and was now grinning at them. At the same time, though, she was looking around the store with the same look that Nancy had had upon entering.

"How did you find us?" Glinda finally asked after a moment of awkward silence had passed.

Cam fixed her gaze back on them and smirked. "It wasn't hard, knowing that you, being the leader you are, would obviously want to come to a place like this first." Then, casting another glance around the room, she added, "Though, I cannot, for the life of me, imagine what you could possibly find in here for Boq."

At this, Glinda blushed profusely while a look of smugness lit up Nancy's face. Sticking her tongue out at the other girl, the brunette folded her arms as she reveled in her victory.

Glinda, not one to be undone, glared at the other two and determinedly declared, "There is so something in here for Boq! There is something in here for everyone!"

Cocking an eyebrow, Cam inquired, "Such as…?"

Becoming embarrassed again, Glinda looked quickly around her before her eyes settled on an object that was the answer to her silent prayers. Letting out a noise of triumph, she grabbed the object off of the shelf and waved it around in the air, exclaiming, "This!"

Cam switched her gaze between the blonde and the object, resting her hand on her chin as she pondered over what to say. Finally, she said the only thing that she, as well as Nancy, was thinking at the moment. "You're getting him a sparkly, fluffy pink journal with a pink glitter pen attached to it?"

Glinda nodded firmly and hugged the book to her chest. "Yes, I am," she said firmly. "It's everything that he could want. I mean, Boq has a lot to say, you can tell. But, unlike me, he doesn't like to vocalize his thoughts often. So, why shouldn't he be able to write down his thoughts to store away and ponder over later?"

Cam was surprised, but pleased, with this philosophy. It meant that Glinda paid enough attention to Boq to understand him. Or it meant that she was good at making things up on the spot. Either way, her words had impressed the girl.

Nodding her head in agreement, Cam held up her hands and said, "All right, all right, I can understand that reasoning. Still, I don't understand why it has to be in pink."

"Because pink makes everything better," Glinda said simply.

Nancy and Cam glanced at each other for a moment, but decided to just go with it. After all, it was a gift, and, if Glinda meant what she said earlier, than it was heartfelt. No sense in arguing with her.

Pulling out her wallet from her back pocket, Cam quickly checked the price of the journal, including the tax, then pulled out the correct amount of money to pay for it. Handing the bills to Glinda, she said, "Here you go! Just go to that line over there, wait your turn, then give the lady at the counter the journal and pay for it. There will be some change, so make sure to get it before leaving."

Glinda nodded in understanding and skipped off to get her place in line, leaving Cam and Nancy alone and staring after her in amusement.

Turning to Nancy, Cam smiled at her and said, "Thank you for having patience with her."

Nancy blushed, remembering her earlier annoyance and replied, "I wouldn't thank me, Miss Cam."

The girl chuckled and shook her head, not commenting on what she had said, knowing how tough it must be for her. Instead, she reached into her wallet and pulled out two hundred dollar bills. Handing it to Nancy, she said, "I have to dash off now to check on the others, so here's some money. It should be enough to get whatever you need for Dodger."

Nancy gratefully took it. "Thank you," she said, looking past the sunglasses into Cam's eyes.

Cam waved her hand, brushing off the thanks. Seeing that Glinda had reached the front of the line and was making her purchase, she said, "Well, time to be heading off." With that, she slipped into the crowd, disappearing almost instantly from sight, leaving a bewildered Nancy in her wake.

Before Nancy had a chance to look for what direction the girl had gone in, Glinda rejoined her, carrying a pink bag in her hand and humming happily. Looking around, she furrowed her eyebrows and asked, "Where did Cam go?"

Nancy shrugged. "She just told me that she had to go check on the others," she explained.

Glinda gave a sound of understanding before looping her arm through Nancy's. "Well, from this point on, I'm all yours to do with as you please," she said, already walking away from the store. Giving her companion an apologetic look, she murmured, "Sorry for being horrible to you and trying your patience."

Nancy smiled at the apology, her good humor from this morning coming back to her. "I'm sorry for snapping at you," she returned, feeling she was just as guilty as the blonde woman.

"Oh, don't be sorry for that!" Glinda said, shaking her head insistently. "Sometimes, I need to be given a sharp talking to. Now, where shall we go? What do you want to get for Dodger?"

Nancy looked around them as they reentered the hall, wondering if she would need to resort back to her map. Just as she was about to pull the piece of paper out, her eyes landed on a store across from them, simply and elegantly named The Hatter's Madness. Her gaze remained fixed on it as an idea slipped into her head and a smile appeared on her face.

She began to pull Glinda towards the store, quietly saying, "I think I have the perfect gift in mind."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the building, Christine had just finished making her purchase in the music store, and the two women were now sitting on a bench in the middle of the mall while she examined it, smiling and making sure that everything was perfect.

"I don't know, it just seems like him, don't you think?" the soprano asked, holding the little item up in the air to get a good look at it.

Eponine glanced over and looked at it, nodding in approval. "Yes, I guess, if he seems like a little music box type of person," she replied, turning her attention back to the map that was resting in her lap.

Christine smiled happily and nodded, satisfied with her answer. If she did say so herself, the music box was rather lovely. On the outside, the box was painted with dark blues and purples and was dotted with little specks of white, making it look like the night sky. When you opened it up, Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' began playing, and a couple that looked like they were dancing in the moonlight sprang up and began spinning around to the soft music. It had seemed just so perfectly Erik that Christine couldn't help but buy it.

However, as she opened it up once more to look at it, she noticed something that she hadn't before. Biting the inside of her cheek, she muttered, "It seems as if something isn't right."

Eponine looked up again, gazing at the music box and trying to see what was wrong. When she couldn't find anything, she shrugged her shoulders and asked, "What doesn't look right?"

"The people," Christine mumbled back, letting her finger lightly touch the figurines' heads as they spun. "It seems like there's something missing."

The gamine turned her eyes to the tiny people, trying to see what Christine saw. After another moment of seeing nothing, Eponine shrugged again and lightly suggested, "Why don't you just put a mask on the man?"

Christine suddenly gasped and shot up straight. "That's a perfect idea!" she exclaimed, wondering why she hadn't thought of it herself. Beaming at her companion, she gently placed the box back into the bag and leaned over to embrace the other woman, saying, "Thank you so much, Eponine!"

Taken aback at the gesture of affection, Eponine coughed nervously and lifted an arm to awkwardly pat Christine's elbow. "Not a problem," she murmured under her breath, not sure what else to say.

Christine released the other girl, feeling her tension and pitying her, though she wouldn't let it show. She turned her gaze to the map resting on Eponine's legs and said, "So, have you decided where you should go to get Enjolras' gift yet?"

Sighing, Eponine propped her chin on her hand and said, "No, I haven't. I don't even know the guy, for heaven's sakes! How can I get him a gift if I don't know him?"

"With my help, that's how!" Cam suddenly exclaimed, materializing out of nowhere. Smiling at them, she joined them on the bench and took the map from Eponine, thinking over it carefully.

Huffing, Eponine crossed her arms and sat back. Under her breath, she began to grumble, "I don't even know how you could get a gift for the likes of him. I mean, he doesn't even care about anythin' besides his precious Patria, and you can't wrap a country in a box. It's near impossible to find somethin' to give to someone like him…"

"I've found out where we can go to get him something!" Cam cried out, interrupting Eponine's rant as she flourished the map in the air. Leaping up, she grabbed the two women and began to tug them after her, extremely excited to get to their destination.

Looking at each other, Christine and Eponine silently wondered what Cam had in mind, and if it was safe. However, they could do little about it, seeing as the girl had a firm grip and was dragging them along at a rapid pace. So, they followed after, genuinely curious about her obvious eagerness and happiness.

It didn't take them long to reach the destination that Cam was looking for, and she parked all three of them in front of a yellow store, beaming up at it with a dreamy expression in her eyes. "Well, here we are!" she said, clasping her hands together and resting her head on them. "The number one place to make dreams come true! Build-A-Bear Workshop!"

Eponine and Christine could only stare into the store, thoroughly confused now. This 'perfect store' was full of children who looked to be no older than ten, and the walls were lined with stuffed animals. It hardly looked like the place where you would buy a gift for a grown man.

Clearing her throat, Eponine hesitantly asked, "And, why are we here, exactly?"

Turning to look at them, Cam acted surprised at them as she said, "Why, to get Enjolras a present, of course!"

Raising both eyebrows, Eponine slowly questioned, "So, you want me to get him…a teddy bear?"

Cam nodded merrily, her loose bun bobbing up and down. "Yep!" she said. "It's a perfect representation of him, since he's a secret teddy bear himself. Besides, you can customize the bear, so you can make it look like him."

Eponine stared at the girl, completely doubting this idea. However, seeing as she had no greater idea, or any idea at all, actually, she decided that it was better than nothing and nodded her head in agreement, earning a burst of laughter from Christine.

"Good!" Cam said, grabbing onto Eponine's forearm and pulling her inside, Christine trailing after them. "Then let's get started!"

Slowly but surely, Cam walked Eponine through all the steps of making a bear. She managed to properly choose a bear that had golden fur, stuff the bear, stitch it up, and fluff it to make it look like a shining, brand new, right out of the box teddy bear. She then proceeded to choose a vest that looked remarkably close to Enjolras' own vest and dress the bear in it, as well as wrapping a tricolor ribbon around his waist. While she had done all of this, Christine, under Cam's instructions, had gone across the hall to a candy store and bought a small bag of chocolate truffles to attach to the bear, making it look a little more festive.

When she was done and they had bought the bear, the three girls went out into the hallway and brought the stuffed animal out of the bag to look at it. They all approved of its cuteness, and Eponine had never been prouder of herself than she did in this moment.

"Wow, 'Ponine, you did a great job!" Cam commented, lightly stroking the bear's head.

Eponine shrugged as she placed the bear back into the bag. "Well, we'll see how Monsieur Revolutionary likes it on Christmas, won't we?" she said, truly skeptical that he would like it.

Cam rolled her eyes at Eponine. "Oh, I'm sure he'll love it," she reassured the other woman, patting her shoulder. Turning her eyes on Christine, she said, "Now, I never got a chance to see what you got Erik after I dropped off the money with you. May I see?"

Christine nodded happily and quickly removed the music box from the bag, rotating it to display all of its sides, then opening it to show off its lovely inside.

Cam looked at it approvingly, reaching out to stroke the wood. "Very nice, very nice," she said. "Very Erik-y, if you ask me."

Christine bobbed her head up and down. "That's what I said when I saw it!" she exclaimed merrily. Remembering Eponine's earlier idea, she said, "However, do you think that there is any way that I could possibly attach a white mask to the man?"

Cam positively lit up at the idea, pleased that Christine was willing to do something to take the gift a step further. Beaming radiantly, she nodded her head and said, "Yes, I do believe Mr. Todd could construct a miniature mask in plenty of time for Christmas."

Christine smiled in delight and leaned over to give Cam a tentative hug. "Thank you," she whispered in her ear.

Cam shook her head, feeling that there was no need for thanks. Gently looping her arms through the other two women's, she began to head towards the center of the mall, saying, "Now, ladies, why don't you go wait with Anthony in the food court while the rest finish up their shopping?"

The women agreed, though they exchanged glances over Cam's head as they wondered what exactly a 'food court' was.

* * *

Dodger rested his head in his palm, truly considering the idea of just walking out of this store and going about his way. He could understand the need to look for the right type of gift, but after thirty minutes of just looking at different types of necklaces, even he was beginning to become impatient with his companion.

Enjolras had led the younger boy to a store in the mall called Kay Jewelers after the memory had helped him decide what he should get Eponine for Christmas. His flashback was one of when he was a young boy. His sister had just turned five, and his parents had decided to gift her with a little locket that had her name engraved on the front. She had been extremely delighted, and she had never taken it off since the day that she had gotten it.

As he grew, Enjolras began to notice that many young ladies wore lockets, and they were very proud to own one. He even noticed that Christine wore one around her neck. However, he saw that Eponine had no pretty trinket to call her own, which did not surprise him, but it sent a twinge of pity through his heart. So, he decided to give her what every woman should have for themselves.

Picking out the gift, though, was not as easy as he thought it would be. Upon arriving at the store, he discovered that there were many varieties of lockets to choose from, far more than the young man could have ever imagined. The many ways that people had found to design jewelry truly astounded him, and he chose to take it upon himself to look through everything that the store had to offer, to make sure that he found that perfect gift for his partner.

So, for the past twenty minutes, he had been going over several lockets on display, examining all of them thoroughly, from their material value to their design pattern. He left nothing out of his inspection, and it was beginning to drive Dodger mad, especially since every necklace that Enjolras had looked out so far seemed to fall short of his high expectations.

Sighing loudly for perhaps the fifth time since they had entered the store, Dodger glanced up to see Enjolras looking at a heart-shaped, silver locket carefully. Without truly looking at the necklace, Dodger began to gush, "Oh, that one's right lovely, it is! Why, I think it's the finest in the store! Eponine would love it, don't you think?"

Enjolras tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps," he muttered slowly, then shook his head. "But I can't take this one. The left side of the design isn't congruent with the right side. I don't want to take the chance of her noticing and offending her." With that, he moved on.

Dodger groaned and brought his hand up to smack his forehead. Shaking his head, he began to wonder if Enjolras was truly a man, for a man could not care about such trivial things such as if a design on a necklace was lopsided or not. However, as he lifted his head to vocalize this inquiry, a voice interrupted him.

"Found anything yet?" Cam asked, popping up beside the thief and startling him.

Enjolras shook his head, his eyes never leaving the necklace he was looking at. "No, not yet," he replied, seeming to register the question unconsciously.

Cam raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything about the blonde's quest. Instead, she turned to Dodger, looked at him sternly, and asked, "And you, Dodger? Have you 'found' anything yet?"

Dodger blushed and gave the girl a charming smile, doing his best to look and sound as innocent as possible as he replied, "Who, me? Why, I wasn't even lookin' for anything in this store. I've just been mindin' me own business while my good friend here has been looking for his present."

Cam just continued to look at Dodger with a hard look, not believing a word of what he was saying. After a moment of just looking and smiling, Cam heaved a huge sigh and tiredly said, "Dodger, whatever you took, just put it back now so that there won't be any trouble."

Dodger was about to protest this accusation, but the glare from Cam silenced him. Dropping his head in resignation, he reached into his pockets and began to extract numerous rings, necklaces, and bracelets that he had slyly taken and hidden as they walked around the store. Reluctantly, he handed over his goods, sending up a silent apology to Fagin for getting caught.

Cam's mouth dropped open and both her eyebrows raised as the boy deposited his loot into her hands. It took both her palms, and even a little bit of her arms, to hold all of the jewelry. Looking up, she gazed at Dodger in astonishment, not believing what she was seeing.

Dodger could only shrug and say, "Don't look at me like that, it's in my blood. Besides, what else am I supposed to do, since Mr. Perfection over there is takin' his sweet time?"

Rolling her eyes, Cam laid the jewelry items on the counter, making a note to ask the clerk to return them to their rightful spots. For right now, she needed to help Enjolras, who she could see was still struggling mightily with finding the right gift.

Walking over to stand beside him, she gazed through the glass, pondering over several lockets near her. As she looked, she began to understand why Enjolras was having a hard time. Nothing in the display case seemed to be something that Eponine might like. Chewing her lip, she looked up, deciding to take matters into her own hands.

Calling over one of the cashiers, she kindly said, "I hate to bother you, but my friend here is looking for a locket for another friend of ours, and nothing displayed here seems to take his interest. Would you happen to have any other necklaces available?"

Thinking for a moment, the cashier nodded her head slowly and said, "Yes, I think that there are two more back in the storage room. If you'll wait for a moment, I can get them for you."

Cam nodded in agreement and thanked the lady as she disappeared, praying that one of the lockets would be able to do the job. While she waited, she took her amusement from watching Enjolras look at the jewelry, deriving entertainment from what Dodger had been tortured by.

The lady returned quickly, carrying two different types of lockets. "Here you are," she said happily, carefully laying the necklaces on top of the counter for them to examine. "If you need any help, just call for me," she added, then slipped away to go aid other customers.

Cam gently laid a hand on Enjolras' arm, directing his attention to the two new arrivals. Gesturing at them, she said, "Perhaps you'll like these better."

Enjolras carefully looked over them, immediately ruling out the first necklace. It was made of gold, but there was far too much design engraved on it, giving it a gaudy appearance. Besides that, it was in the shape of a heart, which was not the ideal shape he was looking for.

However, the second locket immediately caught his eye and held his attention. It was in the shape of an oval, and it was crafted from white gold. Around the outside edge of the oval, tiny flowers and swirls had been engraved, and they shone in the light. In the middle of the oval was a blank space, obviously intended for an engraving of your choice. As he looked at it, he knew that he had finally found his perfect gift.

Nodding his head and gently picking up the locket to hold it in his palm, he said, "This is the one."

Cam nodded back, agreeing fully with his decision. The locket seemed to have been especially made for the gamine. Calling over the clerk again, she secretly wondered just how Enjolras had known it would be the right one.

When the woman had rejoined them, Cam took the necklace from Enjolras and handed it over to her, saying, "We would like this one, please."

The woman nodded and said, "Wonderful choice. This is one of our finest." Grabbing a pen and a piece of paper, she said, "Now, we should be able to have an engraving on it by tomorrow, so I'll need your name, address, phone number, and what you would like to have written on the locket."

"Send it to 1346 Avenue Q, if you would be so kind. Address it to Cam. Phone number, (555)765-4321," Cam said, watching as the woman wrote down the information. Turning to Enjolras, she asked, "What do you want written on it?"

Enjolras didn't take long to think about it. "Just write Eponine, please," he said, helping the cashier spell the young woman's name.

After she had collected all the information she needed, the cashier clicked the pen closed and went over to the register, quickly doing the math to calculate the price of the necklace, plus shipping. She was finished within a matter of seconds, and swiftly returned to inform them that their grand total was three hundred eighty dollars.

Without batting an eye, Cam reached into her back pocket, retrieved her wallet, and removed four hundred dollar bills. She handed them over to the shocked cashier as if she did this every day, holding back a smirk that she desperately wanted to let escape.

They settled everything quickly and returned to Dodger, who was eyeing a pretty watch that was on display. Not even taking a moment's rest, Cam latched onto his arm and dragged him out of the store, with Enjolras trailing behind them, snickering all the way.

When they reached the hallway, Cam released Dodger's arm and looked at him with pride in her eyes. "You know, I honestly expected the alarm system to go off," she said, chuckling at Dodger's hurt look.

Not giving Dodger a chance to defend himself, Enjolras asked, "Where did you get all of that money?"

Cam shrugged and nonchalantly said, "Well, when you build a machine that brings people from musicals into this world, it kind of works in your favor." Turning back to Dodger, she said, "Now, Dodge, where do you plan to go for Nancy?"

Dodger shrugged, honestly not having thought about it before. "I don't know," he answered. "I was plannin' on just walkin' 'round until I found somewhere that looked nice."

Cam shook her head at his plan, but she decided that it was better than nothing. Reaching into her wallet, she pulled out a few more bills and handed them over to the boy, saying, "Spend this wisely, and try not to steal anything, all right? Enjolras is going to report back to me on your behavior."

Dodger saluted her as he tucked the money into his pocket, giving her his most charming grin. "I promise that I'll be a right gentleman," Dodger said, bowing low to emphasize his point.

Cam rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless at his antics. Patting his head, she wished them both luck and reminded them to go to the front of the mall when they were done before turning on her heel and hurrying off into the crowd, intent on helping out her last two charges.

Dodger and Enjolras began to walk around, surveying stores and checking their maps to look for a place of interest. However, Dodger seemed to be thoroughly stumped. Sure, Nancy was easy to please, but he didn't just want to get her any old gift. He had money now, and he wanted to do something nice for her, something that she hadn't gotten to experience when she was with Bill. So, where did one go to find a super special gift for someone?

"Well, what does she really like?" Enjolras questioned, taking a seat on a bench as he looked over the map.

Dodger plopped down beside him and took off his hat to run a hand through his hair. "I don't know!" he exclaimed, thumping his hat into his lap in frustration. "That's the problem! We've been friends for years, yet I don't even know what her likes and dislikes are."

Resting his head on his palm, Enjolras tried to be helpful by saying, "Here, try this. Think back to a time that you two had gone out together. Is there anything that particularly caught her attention and made her stop and stare? Anything that really jumped out to her?"

Dodger stuck his tongue into his cheek and thought back as far as he could remember, trying to think of all the times that they had gone on trips for Fagin together. Suddenly, a memory occurred to him, making him sit upright on the bench and snap his fingers. "I've got it!" he cried, excitement filling him.

Enjolras cocked his head, furrowed his brow, and asked, "What? What have you got?"

"A gift idea," Dodger explained, leaping off the bench to begin pacing. "You see, years ago, Nance and I were out walkin' the streets, just goin' about our business as we always do. Just as I was about to take a very fine linen handkerchief from some gentleman on the street, I noticed that Nancy had suddenly stopped to look at somethin' in a window. Instead of taking the cloth from the man, I joined Nancy to see what was so interestin'. It just turned out to be a fine red dress, kind of like the one she always wore, but much, much finer, and much more appropriate. I could see that she dearly wanted it, but it was very expensive, even for people with money. So, we moved on, though I could tell that she was saddened by the experience."

Turning to face his companion, Dodger continued, "This leads me to my idea. I was thinkin' that, perhaps, one of these fancy stores would have a similar dress, somethin' that would make her feel grand and ladylike, you know?"

Enjolras nodded, smiling as he thought about how considerate Dodger's idea was. Glancing back down at his map, he said, "Dodger, I believe that is a wonderful idea, and very noble of you. It seems that there is just the perfect store in this mall to fit your needs, and it is just a little ways down the hall from here."

Perking up, Dodger jovially placed his hat back on his head and swiftly pulled Enjolras off the bench, saying, "Well, come on then! Let's not be dilly-dallyin'!"

* * *

In the mean time, Erik and Boq, who had cleverly slipped away from the group, were just leaving an obscure music store located near the back of the mall. Both men were loaded down with staff paper, quill pens, and tiny boxes that held bottles of ink, and Erik had a look of euphoria on his face. Boq, on the other hand, looked quite nervous and unsure.

"And, uh, what exactly do you plan to do with all of this?" Boq questioned timidly, struggling to hold the stacks of paper in his metal arms.

Sighing, Erik patiently explained again, "I am going to ask Cam if she happens to have a piano, or any instrument, really, that I can borrow, and I will be composing several pieces of music for Christine to play for her on Christmas."

Boq nodded in understanding, then asked, "And, erm, you're sure that Miss Cam won't be angry that you stole that money from her when she wasn't looking?"

Erik rolled his eyes and said, "Please, Boq, there is nothing to worry about. I mean, the girl wouldn't have so much money if she didn't intend to help us with our purchases."

"You're absolutely right, Erik," an annoyed voice said from behind them, "but I would have appreciated it if you would have waited for me to give you money instead of just taking it from me."

The two men spun around and came face to face with an irritated Cam, who was tapping her foot impatiently on the ground and glaring at them angrily. Boq tried to smile at her to ease the mood, but he realized that his attempts were in vain after a moment. Erik simply looked at her with an indifferent expression as he raised an eyebrow.

"So, you did manage to find us after all," he said, lightly shrugging his shoulders. "I figured you would."

Cam narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes, I did find you, and no, it wasn't hard," she shortly replied, crossing her arms. "But, if you ever do anything like that again, I'm going to beat you upside the head with your own sheet music, got it?" Glaring at the tin man, she added, "That means you too."

Boq cowered slightly, giving her a sheepish look, while Erik rolled his eyes and chuckled lightly, not believing the girl could hurt a soul. Still, he made a mental note to hide all of his compositions after today.

Shifting the boxes and paper in his arms, he asked, "So, why did you hunt us down?"

Walking towards them, she relieved Boq of some of his load as she said, "I just wanted to see if you guys needed any help, but it seems that you obviously have everything under control."

"Yes, we do," Erik proudly said, feeling confident that he was one of the only ones who actually knew what to do for their partner. "However, I do need to know if you happen to have a piano, violin, or any other instrument that I can compose with."

Cam nodded and said, "Yes, I have instruments. You can use the music room, if you want. It's soundproof, so nobody will be able to hear you, and there is every type of instrument that I could think of getting in there."

Erik's jaw dropped open in childlike excitement as he breathlessly asked, "You have a music room?"

Cam gave him a sarcastic look as she placed her hand on her hip and said, "No, because I'm so malicious that I choose to invite two extremely musically inclined people into my home and force them to suffer by not having a music room."

Erik closed his mouth and glared at her, lowly growling, "The sarcasm was not necessary."

Cam shrugged, giggled, and said, "I know, but it sure is fun!" Choosing to ignore Erik's fuming, she turned to Boq, softened her expression, and said, "So, how's everything coming with you?"

Boq lifted one shoulder and said, "I honestly don't know. I have no clue what to get Miss Glinda, or where to even start looking."

Giving him a pitying look, Cam reached out to pat his shoulder and said, "I thought you would say that. That's why I came to help." Grinning wildly, she turned him around and pointed down the hall a bit, where a pink-purple glow was shining in the distance. "Right down there is a really awesome store called Faerie's Heaven. It has everything that Glinda could ever want, and I know that you could find a wonderful gift in there."

Boq brightened up, knowing that the store sounded like the perfect place for Glinda. Beaming at Cam, he said, "Thank you so much, Miss Cam!"

Cam shook her head and replied, "No thanks needed. Always happy to help my dear friends."

Erik grimaced at her, not really liking the description that she had painted of the store. "Do I really have to go in there?" he asked, right on the edge of whining.

Cam gave him a hard glare and said, "Yes, you do. Number one, you made Boq go into the music store with you and be a pack mule for you. Number two, you're his partner for this trip, so you have to stay with him. And number three, you have all the money that he needs to buy whatever he chooses to get."

Erik looked down and grumbled some more, but he didn't argue, since all that she had said was true, and arguing would be futile. Sighing in resignation, he muttered, "All right, all right."

Giving the masked man a curious and sympathetic look, Boq said, "Don't worry, we won't be in there for very long."

Erik wanted to glare at the younger man, but didn't have the heart to, not when he was being nice. Instead, he chose to forego saying anything, and started walking in the direction of the store, only pausing to look impatiently over his shoulder at Boq.

Cam and Boq looked after him before glancing at each other. They shrugged their shoulders simultaneously, decided not to do anything about it, bid each other goodbye, then went on their own ways.

* * *

After two hours had passed, all eight people, exhausted and hungry, trooped back to the front of the store. Despite their weariness, though, they were all giddy with excitement, and eagerly hid their bags from sight, not wanting anyone to even be able to guess what they got. It seemed almost like a game to them as they tried not to look at what their partner hid, but they were dying to just take a quick peek.

Cam was waiting for them near the entrance, along with Anthony, beaming at them and raising her eyebrows in inquiry. "So," she began, hiding her inner enthusiasm, "how did today go for everyone?"

They all nodded, far too tired to give a real answer. However, a real answer was not required. Their shining eyes and smiling faces left little doubt to how everything had gone today.

Feeling like a child on Christmas morning, Cam said, "Well, I know you are all exhausted, so we'll be heading home now. Mrs. Lovett will have the food set out for us when we get in. For now, give your bags to Anthony, so he can hide them in the trunk."

The ones who had bags and belongings handed their stuff to the young sailor, who managed to hold on to and balance it all, even when he began walking outside to the limo. The others quickly followed suit, shivering in the cold, night air, but glad to be out of the packed, stuffy mall.

They shuffled into the limo hastily, snuggling into the soft seats and letting out a breath of relief to be off of their feet. Bottles of wine and gin were passed around to relax everyone, but hardly anybody spoke, except for small words of thanks.

After making sure that Anthony had everything packed in the trunk and that he was settled behind the wheel, Cam crawled into the limo and sunk into her own seat, resting her head against the smooth material as the car started to move. Today had been exhausting, but it had also been a welcome experience. It had overjoyed her to see her guests being so compassionate towards their partners, and it truly gave her hope for her plan.

_I just hope everyone can see what I'm starting to see_, Cam thought wearily as they sped along back to her home.

* * *

**A/N: Woo! A lot went on. We discovered that Enjolras does have a heart, Eponine likes cats, Glinda has no reservations about buying guys girly gifts, and I live on Avenue Q. By the way, did anyone notice what I did there, with my choice of stores? Here's a hint, it has to do with Enjolras. If you can tell me, you get a virtual cookie. :) All right, until next time, folks! Leave a review on your way out!**


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